And into the Night I Ascend
by twentythirteen
Summary: Robin, a lazy, unprincipled Grimleal priest, somehow finds himself appointed as the new tactician of the Shepherds, a militia led by Ylisse's Prince Chrom. Reluctantly, Robin realizes that this may be his chance to find meaning in his life and pull himself out of his own debauchery. However, as the world begins to tilt towards chaos, Robin is faced with a difficult choice.
1. When the Wheels Begin Turning

_Hello, and thanks for reading. This story is loosely based off the events in Fire Emblem: Awakening, but as you can probably guess from the summary, there will be some major changes. As you can also tell from the summary, Robin does not have any memory loss and is instead a Grimleal priest. Most of the events in this story will be different from those in Awakening, in fact, and one of the main changes will be that there is no purely evil side that needs to be defeated like there is in the game. That is one of the aspects I disliked most about Awakening, so hopefully this story will be an improvement in that aspect. Anyway, that's all I have to say for now, so thanks again for reading._

* * *

A gentle breeze sailed through the air, making the fresh, green grass dance atop a tall cliff which overlooked the Ylissean countryside. Scattered on the top of the cliff was a small retinue of soldiers, most of them mages. They were dressed in black and red and were milling about, drinking from waterskins or chatting with each other as they stopped for a brief rest.

Seated towards the edge of the cliff was a man with messy, dark hair and deep brown eyes. He wore a tan tunic and a pair of pale, worn traveling pants, and his brown boots were dusty with use. In contrast to the rest of his plain outfit was an ornate, expensive-looking coat which was draped around his shoulders, covering his back as if it were some sort of cloak. A sword was strapped to his side, and a lazy, peaceful expression was present on his face as he dangled his legs over the sharp drop and studied a small village in the distance.

"Father Robin, shouldn't we get moving? We've been sitting here for about twenty minutes now," a black-haired woman said as she approached the man.

"Just a moment, Tharja," Robin replied, "there's no rush, right?"

Tharja frowned. "There is, actually. It would make the Church of Grima look bad if you showed up late for your meeting with the Exalt."

Robin sighed. "I thought that the date we specified was more of a suggested meeting time rather than a hard deadline."

"No… You need to be there by then."

Robin groaned. "But I don't feel like getting up. It's so nice here… Can't you just go in my stead, Tharja?"

"As the son of the High Archbishop of the Grimleal, it is important that you go. Sending a regular mage like myself wouldn't be befitting of the Exalt's rank, now would it?"

"Fine… Glad I have you here to keep me on track," Robin said, somewhat sarcastically.

"Of course, Father," Tharja replied, an eerie smile on her face. "You know I would follow you to the ends of the earth."

Robin glanced at her uneasily as he reluctantly got to his feet and faced the rest of his party. "All right, everyone, it's time to -"

Robin was interrupted by a loud crash originating from below the cliff. The Grimleal priest whirled around to see one of the buildings in the village go up in flames, and the faint sound of shouting soon followed.

"What in Grima's name…?"

"It looks like a bandit attack," Tharja supplied as she clutched her purple tome to her chest. "Best we avoid that area."

Robin yawned as he stretched. "But shouldn't we help them? I thought we were supposed to be on some goodwill visit between Plegia and Ylisse, no?"

"So? We can just act like we never saw anything," Tharja countered. "No need to involve ourselves in unnecessary conflicts. Though I wouldn't mind collecting some material from the corpses once they're finished…"

"Oh, come on, Tharja," Robin said as he saddled up his horse. "It's been a while since we fought a real opponent. If we don't use our skills, they'll get rusty. Besides, maybe we can bring the head of the bandit leader to the Exalt as a gift. Wouldn't that make for a good impression!"

"Weren't you just complaining about how you didn't want to move from that spot? And now you want to rush into a fight?" Tharja questioned.

"Yes, but now that I am up, I might as well do something, right? So come on!"

Tharja frowned again as Robin headed down towards the village, the rest of the retinue in tow. As the group of Grimleal approached the small hamlet, the sound of metal clashing upon metal and shouting pierced through the air. Robin eyed the village for a second, scratching his head.

"Ah… Looks like the fighting is taking place towards the center of the village, probably in the main square where there's more space. By the sound of things, it seems this town has some sort of militia to defend itself, otherwise we wouldn't be hearing swords clashing… Hm… Let's go with our Bullseye Formation.'"

As soon as Robin finished speaking, his mounted mages rode into the town, some of them going west and the others going east. They stuck towards the outskirts, avoiding the center of the village where the fighting was taking place. Soon, only Robin and Tharja were left.

"Ladies first." Robin shot her a lazy smile as he gestured towards the village.

Tharja sighed, but rode into town nonetheless. Robin followed closely behind, the two of them leading their horses straight through the main street and towards the middle of the fighting. Robin admired the architecture of the town as he leisurely rode through. Most of the buildings were well-constructed and made of wood, and aside from the fact that a few of the structures were burning down and the faint sound of screaming in the distance, Robin thought that the town seemed like a nice place to live.

"Really different from Plegia, huh?" Robin observed as the pair approached the town square. A small bridge constructed over a thin river separated their street from the town square, and, as Robin expected, there was currently a clash going on between the the bandits and a small group of militia.

"Plegian towns don't have brigands brawling in the streets," Tharja responded, obviously still upset at being forced into the conflict.

Robin laughed, a rolling, unhurried sound. "I suppose that's true. Come, let's go."

The Plegian pair crossed the bridge and entered the town square. The bandits appeared to number about twenty, and to Robin's surprise, the opposing militia only had three members, one of which was a young girl who hung back and didn't even fight. Though the girl wasn't participating in the battle, her comrades more than made up for her. A mounted knight in blue armor wielded a silver lance, tearing through his foes with practiced ease. Beside him was a muscular man with dark blue hair, and he used an ornate-looking sword in order to hack apart his enemies. The two were obviously more skilled than any one of the brigands, but Robin could see that they were beginning to tire just from the sheer numbers they were up against.

"Hello!" Robin called out. "Mind if we join you?"

Most of the combatants ignored his inappropriate salutation, but a few of the bandits turned their heads in confusion. The blue-haired man was also distracted for a moment, barely avoiding a bandit's axe as he stared at Robin with disbelief.

"Did you really have to do that?" Tharja complained as Robin's call drew a handful of brigands to them.

Robin shrugged. "Probably not. Heh."

Tharja didn't reply, instead choosing to flip open her tome and cast her arm out towards the encroaching enemies. With a muttered incantation, Tharja turned one of them into black dust, causing the other two to pause in shock. Robin himself raised a hand into the air, pointing towards the sky with one finger. Without uttering a word, he launched a fireball into the air, and the projectile exploded after it reached a certain height.

"Well, the signal has been sent," he said afterwards. "Now we wait."

Tharja cast another spell towards the distracted brigands, killing another and barely missing the third one. The remaining bandit tried to counter attack, but before he could rush Tharja with his axe, he found himself unable to move.

A blackish-purple hole had opened up beneath the bandit, and the man slowly began to sink into it. He cried out in anger and frustration as he tried to free himself, but after a few seconds, he was completely swallowed up. The dark hole closed and dissipated after the man had disappeared.

"Ha ha! I love that spell," Robin exclaimed. He then heard the sound of hooves approaching, and he smiled. "Ah, they're here."

To the surprise of both the bandits and the three militia fighters, a group of mounted mages appeared, surrounding the town square from all sides. Before the brigands could react, a flurry of various magical spells flew towards them, pelting them from every angle. Trapped in the town square, the bandits had nowhere to run, and within a few seconds, all of them had been eliminated by Robin's mages.

Robin nodded at their handiwork. "Good, the plan worked."

"Indeed," Tharja noted before she dismounted. "Now, time to collect some materials. It's rare that I get my hands on samples so fresh…"

As Tharja headed off to do whatever it was she was doing and the rest of the mages began to form up behind Robin, the Grimleal priest noticed that the trio of militia fighters was also approaching.

"You there," the blue-haired man called out to Robin. "Thank you for your help today. Without your assistance, I'm afraid this village may have fallen."

Robin grinned lazily. "Glad to be of service, friend."

"What is your name? Your soldiers don't look like they are from the Ylissean Army."

"My name is Robin. I'm a Grimleal priest from Plegia, and I was just passing through on my way to a meeting with the Exalt."

The blue-haired man's eyes widened. "The Exalt…? Exalt Emmeryn?"

"I suppose so, unless there is another exalt I am unaware of," Robin joked.

Chrom smiled. "Sorry, I was just surprised. You see, Exalt Emmeryn is my sister. My name is Chrom, Prince of Ylisse. A pleasure to meet you, Robin."

Now it was Robin's turned to be surprised. "You're a prince? What are you doing in this village, then? I thought you all were just some militia fighters!"

Chrom laughed. "Well, I suppose we are, in a way. You see, I lead a group called the Shepherds, and our job is to go around the country and deal with incidents like this… We were caught a bit off-guard this time, unfortunately, but usually we're pretty effective."

"A noble pursuit," Robin said with an amused smile. "The townsfolk must be in awe at seeing their handsome prince himself ride in to save them."

"Are you poking fun at His Grace?" the knight in blue armor questioned with a frown.

Robin laughed. "Of course not. Truly, I do admire your initiative… Well, Prince Chrom, are you heading back to the capital? I wouldn't mind a guide, if you have the time. I believe I am already late for my meeting with the Exalt, but if the prince himself vouches for me, she might forgive me."

"I suppose it's the least I could do after your help here," Chrom replied as he nodded. "By the way, my two companions here are Sir Frederick of the Ylissean Mounted Royal Knights and Lissa, my little sister."

"Nice to meet you!" Lissa greeted. Frederick simply nodded slightly, his stern frown never leaving his face.

"Likewise," Robin said cheerily.

"Since that's out of the way, how about we get moving?" Chrom suggested. "Er, as soon as your friend over there is done whatever she is doing, at least."

Robin glanced over at Tharja, then sighed. "Tharja, please don't undress the corpses in front of everybody."

* * *

Three figures sat around a table in a dimly-lit room. Each of them was clad in black, and a somber, unsettling aura pervaded the air. After a few moments of silence, a fourth person entered the room. Unlike the others, he wore no ornate armor or robes, and instead just wore a simple black cloak. He was young, and his face was gentle and forgiving, if not a bit sickly-looking. He had long, dark brown hair, and though he wore a pleasant smile, his violet eyes were dim.

"Did I keep you waiting? I am sorry," the man spoke as he took a seat at the table. "Nevertheless, shall we begin?"

"Where is Death?" one of the figures asked in a deep, smooth voice. He wore black armor lined with black fur, and his face was masked by a helm in the shape of a snarling wolf. His cape was fashioned out of black fur as well, and a heavy sword hung at his side, concealed by a black scabbard.

"Ah, right. He has other duties to attend to, so he will not be present. I will fill him in later," the man answered.

"Even so, are you certain we should be holding this meeting without him, Valis?" a deep, booming voice questioned. This one belonged to a huge man who was clad in heavy black armor, and his helm was shaped like a bull's head. The long, sharp horns which erupted from his helmet combined with the enormous axe strapped on his back made for quite the imposing figure.

Valis gave him a reassuring smile. "It won't be a problem, War. As I said, I will fill him in, and our meeting today isn't of much importance anyway."

"If this isn't important, then why are we here?" a voice belonging to a woman and the fourth figure in the room asked. Unlike her two male comrades, she wore a black cloak and a tight black mask to hide her face.

"Just to summarize," Valis replied calmly. "Things are finally beginning to move, so I thought it best to go over a few key details beforehand. Is that all right with you, Pestilence?"

The woman did not reply, and so Valis continued. "So, then… You all will be leaving on your various assignments, so I suspect that this will be the last time we will meet for a while. As you all know, we must collect the Five Gemstones of the Fire Emblem as soon as possible. It is only then that we will be able to awaken Grima. We are already in possession of Sable, and you all are aware of the plan to obtain the others. War, you will go to Chon'sin to recover Vert, and Famine, you will head to the Mila Tree for Azure. Pestilence and I will be working towards Argent and Gules, which are possessed by Ylisse and Regna Ferox respectively."

"... And Death?" Famine, the wolf-armored figure, asked.

"Yes… He has a different task entirely. Let's say that he will be helping us with Argent and Gules for now. Those two will likely be the most difficult to obtain."

"Fine," Famine replied, apparently satisfied. "If that is all, then I am leaving."

War nodded, his black horns reflecting the dim light. "I must be going as well. I have preparations to make."

"Of course," Valis replied as he stood up. "Please, make haste. The sooner we strike, the higher the chance of our success… Lately, I've been sensing a disturbance, and I do not like it. I fear that some otherworldly force may have been sent to hinder our progress."

"Otherworldly?" Pestilence repeated. "This is the first I am hearing of this."

Valis frowned. "Yes, well… I cannot be certain, but I sense that Naga may have put in place some… Failsafes, if you will."

"So you can't tell us anything concrete, is what you're saying," Famine surmised.

War stood up, a sense of urgency in his motions. "Even so, Valis has always been more attuned to spiritual matters than any of us. If he says that there is a new threat, I will take that to heart. We must finish our tasks, and do it quickly."

Valis nodded. "Thank you… The fate of the world rests in the hands of the Inner Circle now. You must do whatever you can to prevent the world from falling into chaos."

"We will," War agreed. "I admit, I have no use for religion, but if this is the path I must take in order to prevent total anarchy, then I will walk it with no regrets."

Famine sighed. "Saving the world, huh? I'm sure if you asked anybody else, we would be the what the world needed saving from… However, I've fought in enough battles to know that true peace can only be achieved through heavy sacrifice. I swear on my sword that I will not fail."

"Hah, you two were always ones for grand statements," Pestilence said as she too stood up. "But nevertheless, I suppose it wouldn't be good for me if the world were to go into ruin. I will fight til the end as well."

"Good," Valis said with a smile. His violet eyes flashed. "Now, my friends, let us go. Victory awaits."

* * *

Lucina woke up with a start. She immediately reached for her sword, and sighed in relief when she felt it by her side. She looked around and found that she was in a dark forest, alone.

 _Where am I…? And where is everybody else? It cannot be… Was I the only one who made it?_

The blue-haired princess slowly got to her feet, and she glanced around once more for good measure. When she found that she truly was alone, she sighed. _I suppose this is nothing new. I will finish this fight even if I have to do it alone._ She had arrived in this world with a group of comrades, and though her mind automatically assumed the worst when she saw that they were nowhere to be found, she knew that this did not mean that they were all dead. Naga had told them that it was completely possible that they would be separated upon returning to the past.

 _Even so, I still do not have any idea where I am… And where did my mask go?_ She reached up to her face and found that the mask she had brought with her in order to conceal her identity was missing. _I suppose that is not too much of an issue. As long as nobody looks at my eyes too closely, I should be fine._

She gathered her bearings and made her way through the forest, heading in no direction in particular. As she tried to find some sort of path that would lead her towards civilization, her mind began to wander. She thought of the world she had left behind, and about how she and her friends had fought with every last bit of their strength to reach Naga in order to return to the past. They had no hope of winning against the Grimleal in the future, but if they returned to the past, they could prevent that future or any other futures like it from happening. Lucina didn't fully understand the concept, and Naga did not have the time to explain it, but somehow, returning to this point in the past would eliminate the possibility of the world being destroyed in any alternate timeline.

 _If I am able to succeed, that is,_ she realized as she walked. _I do not know how far the Grimleal's plan has advanced thus far, but hopefully it is not too late…_

Her mind drifted to the sinister cult of Grima, and she repressed a shudder as she thought of the four known as the Inner Circle in particular. They were the leaders of the Grimleal, and they possessed power unlike no other. Even her father, a man she used to think was invincible, had no chance against them. She vividly remembered the scene of her father being cut down by a figure in dark, dragon-shaped armor, and a mixture of fear and anger grew inside her.

 _The one known as Death… He killed my father. But what will I do if I find him in this world? Will I be able to defeat him?_

She hoped that the Inner Circle in this time were not as powerful as they were in her own world. Though she was sure that they would still be tough opponents, in the future, they will have absorbed so much of Grima's power that Naga herself could not hope to defeat even one of them.

Lucina walked on until she found a beaten path that led out of the forest and onto a main road. It was dark out, and so the road itself was empty, but she could see the lights of a city in the distance. She figured that she would go there and ask for directions, then collect information on the Grimleal. If she could take them by surprise, she was sure that she could defeat the Inner Circle. _Or at least I hope I can…_

* * *

Robin let out a low whistle as he looked around the capital city of Ylisstol, his deep brown eyes glinting with wonder.

"Nice, isn't it?" Chrom said. "Bet your desert cities in Plegia aren't like this."

"That's for sure," Robin replied as his eyes took in the bustling streets and the tall buildings. "Everything is so much more colorful here… And there's not sand everywhere."

Chrom chuckled. "Yeah, I would bet that gets annoying."

Robin got along surprisingly well with Chrom, and the two had quickly become friends on the three-day journey back to Ylisstol. Robin's breezy personality and lacking drive was off-putting to most nobles and clergy back in Plegia, so he did not have many close acquaintances at home. Chrom, however, was far less serious than any other noble he had met, and he found that the Ylissean prince was quite affable himself. Robin didn't know if it was because he helped Chrom out at the village, but Chrom seemed to treat Robin just as well as he would treat any other one of his countrymen. He couldn't say the same for Frederick, however; the knight never stopped glaring at Robin whenever he got the chance.

"That's the palace," Chrom pointed out as the group got closer to the majestic castle that rested on top of a hill, overlooking the city.

"Wow," Robin said as he grinned in excitement. "It's so… White."

"Hah! That's one way to describe it, I suppose."

The group continued onwards until the reached the castle. Robin's soldiers were escorted to some spare quarters by the castle's servants, and Robin and Tharja went with Chrom, Frederick, and Lissa to see the Exalt. They walked through the grand halls of the palace until they reached the throne room. A woman with blue and gold armor and periwinkle-colored hair stood outside the doors, and she bowed as Chrom arrived.

"Prince Chrom, Princess Lissa. I am glad you arrived safely. I heard you encountered some brigands."

"Hello, Phila," Chrom greeted. "We did run into some trouble, but thanks to Robin here, we were able to save the village and escape with our lives as well."

Robin shot her a lazy smile and raised his hand in greeting. "No thanks needed, my lady."

"Robin…?" Phila said, obviously having heard the name before. Her eyes then lit up in realization, and she regarded him warily. "Ah, I remember now. You must be that Plegian priest. If I recall correctly, you were supposed to be here a few days ago."

"Uh, yeah, sorry about that," Robin apologized halfheartedly as he grinned sheepishly. He had heard from Chrom that Exalt Emmeryn was actually quite forgiving, so his worries about being chastised had dropped significantly. The Exalt's guards were another story, though.

"I suppose it cannot be helped," Phila sighed. "Come in. The Exalt will see all of you now."

The group entered the throne room, and Robin was captivated by how bright and gold it was. At the center of the room stood an equally-beautiful figure, and Robin knew she must be the Exalt. Frederick and Phila kneeled to Exalt Emmeryn, but Robin simply stared, enraptured by her golden locks and warm, smiling face. Tharja hung back, hiding behind Robin.

"Welcome back, Chrom, Lissa. I see you brought company."

Chrom smiled. "Yes. This is Robin and Tharja, two Plegian priests. They helped us save a village a few days ago, and since they were coming to meet you anyway, we decided to return together."

Emmeryn turned to Robin. "Thank you for your help, Father Robin. We are indebted to you."

"N-no, it was nothing," Robin replied hastily, feeling undeserving of the Exalt's praise.

Emmeryn smiled. "Well, since this was supposed to be a goodwill visit between the Church of Grima and Ylisse, I would say you have accomplished your mission. If you are busy, you may leave, but if you would like to stay for a bit, I will have rooms prepared for you and your companions here at the castle. I could also arrange for a guide to take you around the city and to the various churches here in Ylisstol, if you wish. Ylisse mostly worships Naga, but I am sure that both our religions can learn a lot from each other."

"Actually," Chrom cut in, "I was hoping to take Robin to the Shepherds' barracks."

"Father Robin is here on a goodwill visit, Chrom, not to inspect your militia," Emmeryn replied. "Speaking of, we will need to have a talk about the Shepherds. What you did a few days ago was reckless, and if you did not have help, you could have been in serious danger."

"Exactly! But we had Robin with us, right?" He then turned to Robin. "You told me a lot about how you studied battle tactics on our way back to Ylisstol, and I saw how you fought with and commanded your soldiers at the village. The Shepherds could really use someone like you, if you're willing…"

Robin was a bit taken aback. "Are you asking me to join your militia?"

"I'm sorry," Emmeryn apologized to Robin. "Chrom, please mind your manners. How many times must I tell you that Father Robin is here on a goodwill visit?"

"I know that!" Chrom said. He looked at Robin, his blue eyes shining with excitement. "But what better a way to spread goodwill than to fight together as comrades, right? Just think of what you and I could accomplish together, Robin! Today we fight bandits, but tomorrow we could be the greatest band of warriors to ever have walked the continent!"

Emmeryn sighed. "Chrom, contain yourself. You must remember that Father Robin is a Plegian priest, and that he has duties to his own country as well. He cannot afford to run around with a Ylissean militia."

"I have to agree with the Exalt, Your Grace," Frederick cut in. "This whole idea is ridiculous. You would invite a foreigner into our ranks?"

Chrom glared at him. "That 'foreigner' may have saved your life, Frederick… But you are right, this is not my decision to make. Robin…?"

Robin was still a bit surprised at Chrom's proposal, but he couldn't help but smile at the prince's enthusiasm. He had also been taken with the country of Ylisse, and as someone who had spent his entire life in service of the Grimleal, Robin decided that he could use an exciting change.

"I was sent here to foster relations with Ylisse and the Church of Grima, so why not? I'm sure someone can fill in for me back home."

Chrom grinned. "All right! I knew you would agree! Well, Em…?"

The Exalt looked slightly frustrated, but she sighed in consent. "... All right, if that is what you two wish."

"Thank you, Em," Chrom said. "Well, it's settled, then. Welcome to the Shepherds, Robin… And Tharja too, I guess."

Robin gave him a lazy salute. "Glad to be of service."

The group then headed out of the throne room after saying goodbye to Emmeryn. Chrom was apparently very eager to introduce Robin to the rest of the Shepherds, so they would be heading out immediately, despite the Exalt's protests.

As Robin followed Chrom out of the castle, he stared at the prince's back and found himself thinking about what exactly he was doing here.

 _The Shepherds, huh? Me, a Plegian priest, joining up with a Ylissean prince's militia… I guess that's just how it goes. Valis did tell me to have fun, so this counts, I suppose. Hopefully Chrom has got some good liquor back at his barracks._

Robin's thoughts then turned more serious. _Valis also told me that I should look for something, though, and that something is my reason for protecting this world. As things stand now, I've got no strong attachments to anything. I do my priestly duties during the day, and drink and whore as much as I can to pass the nights… But I wonder, can I find a reason to hold me in this world? Will being with the Shepherds fill this void I feel?_

The newly-appointed tactician sighed inwardly as the group began their march away from the castle and towards the barracks, which were about a half a day's walk to the north.

 _I suppose only time will tell…_

* * *

 _A/N: Just to be clear, behind the masks of the Inner Circle are actual characters in the game; they are not OCs. You can probably guess the identity of some of them already, though not all of them are obvious. Valis, however, is an OC, but he won't be too important in the plot. He's mainly just there for exposition purposes, and since Awakening does not go into detail about the Grimleal, I really had no choice but to use an OC here. Validar will be in this story as well, but he has a different role to play._


	2. The Selection

Lucina glanced around cautiously as she pushed her way through the dense, crowded streets of the Feroxi capital. After arriving in the city and asking around, she was able to discern where exactly she was, and though she didn't end up in Ylisse, she supposed that she was close enough.

 _I wonder where everyone else is,_ the princess thought as she made her way towards the large fortress at the center of the city. The building supposedly housed the current Great Khan, though she did not know which one of them would presently be residing there. The last Khan in her time had been Khan Basilio, and both he and his counterpart, Khan Flavia, had been killed during Grima's Awakening. Even in her timeline where they were a lot older, the Khans were still widely known as two of the fiercest fighters on the continent. However, even they met their ends at the hands of the Inner Circle.

Lucina's mood immediately soured as she thought of the four Grimleal zealots who made up the group known as the Inner Circle. _My top priority must be to defeat them before they can pose a significant threat… However, since I am already in Regna Ferox, I should take this opportunity to warn the Khan of the events to come. It also would not hurt to have a leader of one of the continent's most powerful nations as my ally._

The blue princess eventually made it to the gates of the fortress, and to her pleasant surprise, the drawbridge and gates were already wide open. Throngs of people came in and out like a rapidly-flowing river. _Good. This means that I will not have to explain my situation to the guards just to get into the castle._

Lucina blended into the crowd and walked into the fortress, and once she entered, she found herself in a large reception room. The hall was filled to the brim with merchants, soldiers, mercenaries, and regular peasants alike, and food, drink, and music were plentiful. She looked around uncomfortably as she tried to locate one of the guards to help her get an audience with the Khan, though it was difficult to tell who was actually on duty because even the soldiers were partaking in the festivities.

She eventually located a woman who appeared to be a castle guard. The soldier was dressed in armor and clutched a lance in one hand, her other hand holding a chicken leg which she was currently in the process of vigorously tearing into.

"Excuse me," Lucina interrupted, "but could you possibly lead me to the Khan? I have something of the utmost importance which I need to tell him… Er, or her."

The soldier gave her a strange look, and Lucina prepared to explain herself. However, before the princess could say a word, the guard pointed towards the center of the room with her half-eaten chicken leg. Lucina looked over to where the soldier was gesturing and saw a tall, muscular, dark-skinned, bald man laughing raucously as he downed a pint of ale. He was surrounded by a group composed mostly of soldiers and mercenaries, though there were some peasants among them as well.

"Thank you," Lucina told the guard before setting off in the direction of whom she assumed was Khan Basilio. She was a bit put off by how the Khan seemed to have no problem milling about with the common people without any sort of security detail, but she knew things were done very differently in Regna Ferox.

When she got nearer to the Khan, she tried to get his attention. "Excuse me…"

Her voice, however, was lost among a round of booming laughter that broke out after one of the soldiers finished telling a joke. The Khan himself led the chortling, his deep, resounding laugh drowning out any chance of Lucina being heard.

Lucina sighed as she prepared herself. "Excuse me!"

Her yell finally got the attention of the group, and they all turned to face her. She felt a bit embarrassed at having to call out like that, but she pushed it down and donned a serious expression.

"Khan Basilio. I must speak with you in private."

The Khan stared at her in surprise for a moment, then bellowed out a laugh. "Haha! Sorry, girl, but if you want me in private, you'll have to get in line! But tell you what, since you're a pretty one, I'll move you up a few spots, how about that? I'm sure we can get to know each other sometime tonight if I'm quick about things! Hah!"

The rest of his group joined him in his laughter, and Lucina's face flushed red as she clenched her fists. "That is not what I meant!"

After a few seconds, the laughter died down, but Basilio still wore a jolly smile. "I know, I know. I was just teasing you. To be serious, however, I don't have the time nor the desire to see some mercenary who shows up out of the blue in private. If you have something to say, say it here and now."

"My information is very sensitive. It could harm the fate of the world if the wrong ears were to hear it," Lucina protested.

"Oho, the fate of the world, is it?" Basilio repeated, obviously not taking her seriously. He then glanced down to her side, where Falchion rested. "That's quite the sword you have there. Are you skilled with it? How much for your services?"

"I am not some common mercenary," Lucina replied, offended.

Basilio sighed. "That's a shame. By the way you act and dress, you look to be some sort of clueless foreigner to me. Tell me, do you know why the city and the Khan's Palace are so lively today?"

"No… But what does that have to do with -"

"It's because the Tournament of the Khans is coming up in a few days," Basilio interrupted. "Do you know what that is?"

Lucina nodded hesitantly. As a princess, she had some knowledge about how the politics of her neighboring nations worked.

"Good, then I don't have to waste my breath explaining it. As you know, we khans are always looking for capable fighters to participate on our behalf. If you fight for me, I may be willing to hear what you have to say."

Lucina considered her options. She could desperately use the help of Regna Ferox in this strange time where she was completely alone and knew nobody, and she was also fairly confident in her martial skills. The combatants in the Tournament of the Khans did not fight to the death anyway, so she decided she had nothing to lose.

"... I will do it, in that case."

"Hah! Good. However, there is still one important thing: I don't actually know how good you are. You look like you can handle yourself in a fight, and there's something about you that I like, but even so, I can't just have a random girl fighting for my title as Khan… Lon'qu!"

A dark-haired man with cold, harsh eyes responded to the Khan's call as he separated himself from the crowd. A long, sharp sword hung at his side, and he glared at Lucina as he approached.

The blue-haired princess' eyes widened. _Lon'qu…! He was so quiet that I did not notice him before…_

Basilio muttered something to one of the men beside him, and, after running off and coming back a few minutes later, he returned with a pair of blunted swords. Before she fully recovered from the shock of the situation, Lucina found herself facing off against Lon'qu, a tourney sword thrust in her hands.

"If you want to fight for me, you have to defeat my previous champion, Lon'qu," Basilio told her. "Or put up a good fight, at the very least!"

The crowd around them had drawn back, giving the two combatants some room. Lon'qu let out a sigh before dropping into his stance, his sword held parallel to the ground.

Lucina swallowed nervously as she too got into her fighting stance. _Calm down… Lon'qu is a fearsome fighter, but I have honed my skills on death's edge for my entire life. This version of Lon'qu should also be much less experienced, so I hold the advantage._

"All right!" Basilio shouted. "Begin!"

As soon as the Khan had finished, Lon'qu was off like fireworks, rushing towards Lucina with the trained grace of a true master of the blade. Lucina blocked his initial thrust, then ducked under his lateral slash. She returned with her own thrust at Lon'qu's stomach, but the Feroxi leapt back, avoiding the blow.

"Hmph," Lon'qu grunted as he sized her up, looking for an opening. "You are quite skilled."

"As are you," she replied before going on the offensive herself.

The princess slashed diagonally with all her strength, a move her father was fond of using. Lon'qu slunk under the blow, but the unlike her father or most other swordsmen that used that strike, Lucina was light and fast. The edge of her blade caught Lon'qu on his left shoulder, throwing the quiet swordsman off balance. Lucina took this opportunity to thrust forward with both hands, and Lon'qu barely managed to lift his sword to block the blow.

However, since he was already wobbling, Lon'qu could not withstand the strength behind Lucina's second strike, and he fell to the ground. Before the Feroxi could get to his feet, Lucina pointed her blade at his throat, finishing the fight.

The room, which had grown mostly silent during the fight, burst into cheering and applause upon the conclusion of the match.

"Ahaha! Well done," Basilio congratulated. "Consider yourself hired, girl. What's your name?"

Lucina panicked for a brief second, unsure of whether she should give her real name or some sort of alias. Since she had to give a quick answer to avoid looking suspicious, she simply blurted out whatever came to mind first.

"Marth."

"Marth, eh? Well, that was some fine swordsmanship. Flavia is going to wet herself in fear when she sees the team I've assembled this year!"

Lucina then turned to Lon'qu, who was still on the ground. A deep scowl was present on his face as he sat up. Lucina held out a hand to him, but that only caused the swordsman to frown even more and flinch away.

The princess drew her hand back. "Oh, right… I forgot about your fear of women."

Lon'qu looked up at her, surprise tinting his normally cold eyes. "... What?"

Lucina mentally slapped herself. "Er, nothing." _How could I be so careless? Has the adrenaline from the fight made my brain go soft?_

Luckily for her, Lon'qu chose to ignore her comment for the most part, instead getting to his feet and just shooting her an apprehensive glare.

Lucina turned her gaze towards the crowd, most of whom had gone back to doing whatever it is that they were doing before the duel. Basilio was back to joking around with another group of soldiers, though this time they were discussing Lon'qu getting knocked onto his arse, a topic of conversation the swordsman didn't seem to appreciate.

 _Well, I suppose the one good thing that came out of this was that I was able to gain a little bit of the Khan's trust… Though I do not know if fighting Lon'qu was the right thing to do. What if meeting me prevents him from joining the Shepherds?_

Lucina shook her head, trying to rid herself of her doubts. _No, it does not matter. My sole reason for being here is to prevent the resurrection of Grima, so there is no use in worrying about things I cannot control. Besides, the true test has yet to come._

Her mind played back the scene of the Grimleal known as Death stabbing her father through the heart, and Lucina reached for Falchion, tightening her fist around its hilt as if to glean some strength from the sword.

 _One thing is for certain: I cannot let father die. Not now, not ever._

* * *

Robin let out a low groan from atop his horse as he rode at the head of the column. Chrom shook his head disapprovingly from beside the Plegian priest.

"You really shouldn't have drank so much. I told you we would be marching the next day, didn't I?"

Robin frowned, because he knew it was true. After Chrom had introduced Robin to the rest of the Shepherds, the prince had the idea of taking everyone out to the local tavern. Since Chrom had so graciously offered to pay the tab, Robin took full advantage of the situation, drinking himself into a stupor. Unfortunately, he was paying for it now three times over.

"You look like you're about to throw up," Lissa pointed out worriedly as she rode up beside her brother and his tactician. "Do you need me to heal you or something?"

"Can your staff cure hangovers? If not, then there's nothing you can do, I'm afraid…"

"I can hex your headache away," Tharja offered from behind Robin.

Robin grimaced. "Uh, no. You remember what happened the last time you tried that?"

Tharja scowled. "I've refined my spell since then, of course. Besides, your face was only purple for a day at most."

"Okay then," Chrom said as he raised an eyebrow. "You two sure seem to have had some… interesting experiences."

"You don't know the half of it," Robin replied as he yawned, squinting his eyes in the bright sunlight. "How much longer till we get there?"

"If you bothered to listen to the messenger the Exalt sent, you would know that it will take us four days at minimum to reach Regna Ferox," Frederick answered as he rode up to them, handing Robin a distasteful look as he did so.

"I did hear the messenger, but I was hoping that he was wrong," Robin groaned. "Well, wake me when it's time to set up camp. I'm going to sleep…"

"You'll fall off your horse," Chrom stated.

"Then feel free to leave me behind… Gods, does it have to be so bright today?"

Frederick sighed. "Prince Chrom, I am afraid that this man's degeneracy will begin to rub off on you. Best keep your distance from now on."

"Rude…" Robin muttered as he yawned again. "I could really use a deep drink right now. It's the only way I can deal with your constant nagging, Frederick."

"Case in point," the blue-armored knight noted. He then turned his head towards the front of the column as the sound of hooves approached.

A knight in green armor came riding towards the group, his messy, light-brown hair dancing in the wind. "Guys! I spotted something strange ahead!"

"Hm…? Oh, Stahl, you're back," Robin observed belatedly. The tactician had sent Stahl a bit ahead of the column as an outrider after Emmeryn's messenger had warned them of the increasing bandit attacks in the area. "What did you see?"

"It's just as you said, Robin. There were faint prints in the dirt, and the forestry around the trail was slightly trampled in that area. You said that means an ambush, right?"

Robin nodded as he tried to sober up. "Yeah, unfortunately. Bandits and highwaymen like to hide and scout their prey before attacking, so it's only natural that they would choose to stake out somewhere where they could still observe the people passing by. This area of the road is a prime spot for ambushes since it's so woody and enclosed."

"So it appears you at least paid attention to the map I showed you," Frederick granted. "What do you we do now? Simply pass them by?"

"I guess. Since we're heavily armed and if we make it look like we're prepared for a bandit attack while we pass by that area, then they probably won't bother us. They didn't attack Stahl since he doesn't have much of value on him and he has a weapon, so I doubt they would take their chances with all of us."

"But what about those who pass by after us?" Chrom pointed out. "We need to eliminate those bandits so they don't harass the travelers who can't defend themselves."

Robin frowned. "I thought we were on a tight schedule to get to Regna Ferox? Didn't the Exalt tell us that this message needed to reach the Khan as soon as possible? Besides, fighting bandits seems like a lot of work…"

"Oh, come on. What good are the Shepherds if we can't even defeat one measly bandit group? You can come up with some sort of plan to take them out, right, Robin? You did figure out how to spot and avoid them, after all."

"... If I have to," Robin reluctantly replied as he slumped in his saddle.

"Good!" Chrom grinned. "Let's get going, then! We'll repeat our heroics at the village once more!"

Robin sighed to himself. _Yeah, but I don't really want to fight_ these _bandits… Especially not after what I noticed about them in the village._

Nevertheless, the Plegian priest soldiered on, following Chrom as the Ylissean prince rode at the head of the column beside Frederick and Stahl. They continued on for a couple more minutes before Stahl informed them that they were approaching the area where the bandits were hidden. Robin had Chrom halt the column as the tactician began making his preparations.

Since Robin's soldiers had gone back to Plegia when he joined the Shepherds, their group now consisted solely of Chrom's Shepherds. The Exalt had wanted to send an armed escort with Chrom, but the prince refused, saying that the soldiers were needed elsewhere in order to protect the rest of the country from the attacks. That meant that Robin just had the thirteen of them to work with (fourteen when he remembered that Kellam existed), so he hoped that the band of bandits didn't outnumber them by too much.

"Stahl, dismount and take Sully and Frederick with you through the forest. Ambush the ambushers from behind," Robin ordered. "The rest of us will pass through the area, and while the bandits are distracted and watching us, you three will strike. Once the fighting starts and their attention shifts to you, the rest of us will attack from the front, essentially crushing them in a double-ambush pincer movement."

Stahl nodded, getting off his horse and leading Frederick and Sully into the bushes as the rest of the Shepherds rode onwards. Based on what Chrom had told him, Robin knew that those three were possibly the strongest fighters the Shepherds had to offer, so they would be fine on their own. All three knights had gone through training in the Ylissean Royal Mounted Knights Corps, so they were no pushovers.

"What if the bandits decide attack us instead of just watching?" Chrom asked as they continued down the path.

"I doubt it. Remember what I said earlier? They've got no reason to risk their lives assaulting our heavily-armed group."

Chrom nodded, and they eventually reached the area Stahl had told them about. Robin glanced around suspiciously, searching for any anomalies. For a moment, everything seemed normal, but after a few seconds, rustling noises began emerging from the bushes on the sides of the path.

 _Could Stahl have already reached them so quickly? No, that isn't possible… Damn it!_

"Form up!" Robin called out. "Enemy ambush!"

The remaining Shepherds formed a circle with Robin, Tharja, Virion, Lissa, Maribelle, Ricken, and Miriel at the center. To the surprise of the group, the bandits began leaping out of the trees, preparing to attack.

"What a pain in the ass," Robin muttered tiredly as the bandits closed in on them. "Hold the perimeter! Mages and Virion, take out any archers or long-ranged fighters you see. Sumia, try to use that pegasus to get airborne if you have the room. Everybody else, good luck!"

The fighting soon broke out, and Robin fired a couple lazy black magic spells from where he sat on his horse, safely in the center. Chrom and Vaike fought enthusiastically, tearing through the bandits with ease and almost breaking formation because of how eager they were. Sumia did eventually manage to get into the air, but as she was fairly new to pegasus riding, she struggled to reign in her mount as she flew above the battlefield. Fortunately, the bandits were unable to break through Robin's formation, as any time they got close, a stray arrow or one of Tharja's spells put an end to their attempt. Lissa and Maribelle worked diligently, healing anyone who had so much as a scratch on them. After a minute or so, they were joined by Stahl, Frederick, and Sully, and the bandits were wiped out shortly thereafter.

When the fighting had concluded, Frederick strode up to Robin, wearing an annoyed expression on his face.

"I thought you said that they would not attack, Priest."

Robin shrugged. "I guess I was wrong… Not that it matters in the end, right?"

"You endangered Prince Chrom, you imbecile. The next time -"

"Frederick," Chrom interrupted. "What's done is done, and it's true that nobody got seriously injured. Robin's tactics helped us defeat them quite easily, even after their unexpected assault."

Frederick sighed in defeat. "... I suppose."

"There is one thing," Robin started. "These bandits… They might not be ordinary brigands."

"What do you mean?" Chrom asked.

"Look at their weapons. Some of them are also wearing armor. We saw this back at the village, too, and on top of that, why has there suddenly been an influx in bandit attacks, all at the same time?"

Frederick frowned. "Are you saying that these brigands are coordinating with each other somehow?"

Robin nodded. "And they're being funded by a third party as well. There's no other way that this many bandits would be able to procure such supplies and launch coordinated attacks all over Ylisse like this. Also, there's clearly a bigger reason why the Exalt sent us to Regna Ferox to ask for troops and to renew Ylisse's alliance with them. We wouldn't be on this sort of diplomatic mission if bandit attacks were all that we were worried about."

"But who would do this?" Chrom asked as he grit his teeth. "Ylisse does not have many enemies… Do we?"

"It must be Plegia," Frederick spat. "They still hold a grudge for the wars of the previous exalt, and that bastard, King Gangrel, is the only one bold enough to attempt this."

"I agree," Robin said. "It doesn't make sense for it to be anyone else."

"Plegia," Chrom repeated. "But Robin… Aren't you from Plegia?"

Robin laughed dryly. "My only allegiance is to the Church of Grima, which just happens to be headquartered in Plegia. I couldn't care less about King Gangrel or what the rest of those idiots decide to do."

Chrom smiled. "Glad to hear it. Then we can still count on you from now on…?"

"Sure," Robin replied breezily. "As long as you keep paying for my drinks, I'll fight for you."

Chrom chuckled. "All right, I'll treat you to another round as soon as we get to Regna Ferox."

* * *

Chrom grunted as he pulled his sword free from the chest of a brigand. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand as he surveyed his Shepherds, the ground around the group littered with blood and the corpses of defeated bandits.

"Looks like that was the last of them," Robin observed from where he sat on top of the body of a charred bandit. The tactician's sinister-looking coat was draped around his shoulders, lazily hanging on.

Chrom sighed as he looked towards the horizon, where he could see a sprawling metropolis. The Feroxi capital was less than a day's march away from their position, and yet bandits were still attacking. This was their fourth encounter with them since they set out, and though Chrom was glad to have the extra fighting experience, the constant attacks were beginning to get tiresome.

Frederick walked up beside Chrom and the tactician, his blue armor splattered with blood but otherwise damage-free. "What I would like to know is why these fiends are still attacking with impunity so close to the capital. Do the Feroxi not believe in patrols?"

Robin stretched as he got up. "I really need a drink… And a woman or two for good measure."

Frederick shot him a look and was about to say something, but he was interrupted by an unknown voice.

"Ha! You're in Regna Ferox, boy. I doubt you could handle either one in this country."

Chrom turned around to see a dark-skinned woman with blonde hair and red armor approaching. Along with her came a retinue of soldiers clad in red armor, though there were also a handful of mercenaries dressed in furs accompanying the party.

The prince narrowed his eyes. _There's no way we can take that many soldiers, especially not after just having fought those brigands._ "Who are you?"

"Oh?" the woman said, an amused glint in her eyes as she looked Chrom up and down. "Isn't it proper princely etiquette to introduce yourself before asking for another's name?"

"You know who I am?" Chrom asked, a bit surprised. "And to hell with etiquette, by the way. I never cared for it."

The woman laughed. "To hell with etiquette indeed! Such constraints only hold us back, truth be told. I am Khan Flavia, Prince Chrom. A pleasure to meet you."

"Khan…?" Chrom repeated dumbly. "You're… _You're_ the Khan?"

"Yes. What, were you not expecting a woman?"

"N-no, I didn't mean to imply anything," Chrom quickly corrected. He actually was aware that one of the current khans was female. "I was just surprised to see you out here, that's all. I heard that the Tournament of the Khans was coming up soon, so I just thought you would already be in the city."

Flavia grinned sheepishly. "Yes, well… I suppose I am running a bit late. However, I am glad that you brought the tournament up. How would you and your group like to fight for me?"

"... Huh?" Chrom had learned all about how these tournaments worked during his studies, but he hadn't expected Flavia to ask him of all people to fight for her, especially not so bluntly.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. I watched you all fight off those bandits, and I have to say, I'm impressed. That boy in the coat and you make quite the pair, in fact; one of you barks orders and comes up with the strategy, while the other is first on the frontlines, fearlessly leading his troops. I've never thought to form a fighting force with two leaders, but your group seems to do it very well."

"Ah, thank you," Chrom replied, swelling a bit at the praise. He was glad to see his Shepherds recognized for their talents, especially by someone as important as the khan. "Still, you actually want us to fight for you in the tournament?"

"I'll pay you," Flavia offered, "though you _are_ a prince, so I suppose you'd have no need of my money… Your renown will increase significantly if you win, though."

"I'll take the money," Robin offered.

"How about this," Chrom began, ignoring his tactician's comment. "We were sent here to ask for military assistance, so if we win and make you Great Khan, you could help us with that."

"What do you need military assistance for?" Flavia wondered.

Chrom took the opportunity to explain the situation to her, even throwing in the speculation about Plegia.

"I see," the Khan said as Chrom finished. "In all honesty, Regna Ferox has been having this same sort of bandit problem, though it has been concentrated mostly around the roads that Ylissean traders are known to use. One of the reasons why I was delayed was because we encountered a bandit troop on our way here, in fact… And you're saying Plegia is behind all this?"

"We think so," Chrom answered.

"That does seem to make sense based on what you've told me and what I've seen for myself… All right, if we win this tournament, I will do all I can to stop these raids. You can count on my help."

Chrom nodded. "Thank you… Now, let's get out of here. If I see one more brigand, I'm going to go insane."

* * *

"Finally!" Robin cheered as he downed a tankard of ale. He quickly regretted it as the fierce alcohol burned down his throat. Stahl sat next to him, only pausing his feast for a brief moment to look upon the tactician's plight, then quickly turning back to stuffing his face.

The Shepherds had made it into the city without any further incidents, and with Khan Flavia's help, they managed to secure prime quarters in the fortress. They were now in the fortress' main tavern, and since they hadn't eaten anything except for wild game and bland rations in days, they were glad to have the opportunity to gorge themselves on real food. Robin in particular was happy to be back in the embrace of his dear friend alcohol, even if that embrace was a bit rough.

"You look like you're struggling," Chrom observed as he took a seat next to Robin.

Robin swallowed with a grimace. "By Grima, the Khan wasn't joking when she said this was strong."

Chrom chuckled. "I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"So, I take it this isn't your first time in Regna Ferox?"

"No, I've visited multiple times before, usually with my father," Chrom said as he took a small sip of his own cup. "This is my first time in a while, though."

"I see… So, are the women here really as harsh as this ale? I don't want to have my cock crushed or something."

Chrom rolled his eyes, but couldn't hide his smile. "I wouldn't know, Robin. I was never allowed to indulge in that kind of stuff."

Robin leaned back in his seat. "I suppose I'll just have to 'indulge' enough for the both of us, then… Stahl, your next order of business is to find me directions to the best whorehouse in town."

The cavalier ignored him, too busy cramming some sort of sandwich into his mouth. Chrom raised an eyebrow at the priest.

"I know Flavia called you one of the leaders of the Shepherds, but I'm revoking your authority off the battlefield. Sorry."

Robin frowned. "Love is a battlefield, Chrom."

"Since when has finding a whore for the night been considered love?"

"Oh, let's not get into the details."

Chrom stared at Robin, his deep blue eyes clouded with thought. The tactician regarded him warily.

"Uh… Is there something on my face?"

"No, I was just wondering about you. Why _did_ you decide to join the Shepherds? I'm glad to have you, of course, but you don't seem to have any interest in anything except drinking and whoring. However, if that were really all there was to you, I doubt you would have taken my offer."

Robin hid his gaze behind his tankard as he raised it to his lips. "Who knows…"

"Trying to be mysterious, are we?" Chrom said with a smile. "Fine, keep your secrets. As long as you're helping us, you can do whatever else you like. I also have to admit, the way you carry yourself on a battlefield is impressive. I've never seen anyone so calm in the face of danger, not even Frederick… I don't mean this as an insult, but it's almost like you're looking at a chess board rather than a battlefield, and that everyone and everything are just pieces to play."

The priest took another sip. "Well, I wouldn't put it quite like that, but… You're remarkably perceptive, Chrom."

The blue-haired prince laughed. "Really? I suppose that's a good thing, considering I don't have many talents outside of fighting."

"Hmm… I don't usually tell people this, but I guess I am able to be so calm because I don't really think life itself is that important," Robin said, growing a bit more serious and confirming Chrom's suspicions. "Really, does the human soul have any intrinsic value? What makes me or you important? Because our titles say we are?"

Chrom shrugged. "I guess that's how it works, though I can see how that could pose a problem if you don't put much stock into the opinions of others or humans in general."

"That's the thing… I just don't feel connected to anything. Why should I love this world? Why should I think life is precious? I drink and I whore and I do all these other things so that I can experience pleasure, in the hopes that these feelings will make me want to live, but for what? Why should I force myself to find things that make life worth living? Shouldn't those things come naturally?"

Robin paused, sensing that he had said too much. He had never shared those thoughts with anyone out loud before, and now he had just spilled them to a man he had only known for a few weeks. There was something about Chrom that made Robin want to trust him, but he didn't mean to spill this much.

"... I see what you're saying, Robin," Chrom finally said. "And you do bring up some valid points. However, you sound like you're giving up before you've even started. We're about the same age, so it feels weird saying this to you, but… You've got your whole life ahead of you. I'm sure that eventually, you'll find something that makes life precious. You may not realize it at first, but soon you'll see that you couldn't live without that feeling, and you'll want to treasure and protect it."

Chrom stood up, downing the last of his drink. He grinned at Robin. "Besides, the Shepherds' tale has just begun! We'll start by winning this tournament, but soon enough, we'll have the whole world in our hands! So start planning our strategy, all right?"

The prince then walked off, leaving Robin alone with his thoughts. He turned to see that Stahl was fast asleep after having gorged himself on half the tavern's menu.

 _I guess Chrom is right. It's too early to give up on the world right now. Valis… You sent me here to find my reason for protecting this world, and so I'll do my best to figure it out._

The tactician smiled, a determined look flashing through his brown eyes as he ordered another round.

 _I'm sure that I'll find what I'm looking for eventually… But until then, I suppose another drink couldn't hurt._


	3. Did Our Hearts Connect?

The roar of the crowd was deafening, and Robin was glad that Chrom had prevented him from getting completely drunk last night.

 _There's no way I could have dealt with this with a hangover,_ the priest thought as he surveyed the huge crowd of people jammed into Arena Ferox, all of them eager to witness the legendary Tournament of the Khans.

"Quite the crowd," Frederick observed from beside Robin, echoing the tactician's thoughts.

Chrom nodded, his eyes wide with excitement. "Indeed…"

"Great, the more embarrassing this will be if we fail," Robin complained. "Though the worst part is that they have this battle at ten in the morning. Do you know how early that is?"

"Yes. You've complained about this multiple times already," Frederick replied, annoyed.

"It's so the winners can spend the rest of the day feasting and partying," Chrom informed. "The khans don't want their warriors getting drunk _before_ the fighting, after all."

Robin grunted, not wanting to admit that it made sense. His eyes then lit up as he noticed a group of three figures emerging from the far end of the colosseum. "Look - those must be our opponents."

The trio focused their attention on Khan Basilio's fighters as they entered the arena. The first was a tall, muscular man with a weathered face and a kind smile. He had short, red hair, and a tourney sword hung at his side. The second was a man with a harsh expression and messy, dark hair, and he also carried a sword. Finally, the third combatant was a young woman with blue hair and blue eyes, and, like her companions, she was also equipped with a blade.

"All sword users," Robin noted. "Frederick, it looks like you'll be our best shot at winning this with your lance."

The blue-armored knight nodded. "This tourney lance is a bit lighter than what I am used to, but I can manage."

"I'm assuming our strategy remains the same for the most part?" Chrom asked as he looked over his opponents.

Robin shrugged. "Sure. They don't look too tough."

The tactician glanced back at his opponents, and he saw that the woman was staring at the Shepherds with wide eyes and a shocked expression.

"... Why is she looking at us like that?"

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "Maybe she recognized me? I am a prince, after all. Though I don't remember making that many public appearances in Regna Ferox…"

"It matters not," Frederick stated as he readied his lance. "We will eliminate them regardless. Priest, let us hope that your plan brings us victory."

A few more minutes passed as a Feroxi soldier read out the rules to everyone, though Robin and his companions had heard them already from Khan Flavia. Everyone was to use blunted, tourney weapons so that nobody died, and a fighter would be considered 'out' if he fell to the ground. Once all three of a side's fighters were declared out, the tournament would end. The soldier also announced the names of all the fighters, and the three fighting for Basilio were apparently called Gregor, Lon'qu, and Marth.

"All right, then," the soldier finished as she stepped back. "You may begin."

The crowd's cheering resumed in full force, and the Shepherds prepared for battle as the opposite side did the same. Basilio's three swordsmen advanced with their blades raised, and Robin could see that there was no semblance of a structured formation to their movements. The three of them were probably just powerful mercenaries that Basilio hired, and so they didn't have much in the way of teamwork. Luckily, this meant that the Shepherds' formation would be able to pick them off one by one.

Frederick stood out in front, his lance poised to strike. Robin and Chrom flanked him from behind on each side, prepared to fend off any enemies that attempted to outmaneuver the big knight. They moved forward as one unit.

The first to test the formation was the big, red-haired swordsman. Gregor launched himself directly at Frederick, and the knight brought up his lance to block the blow. Frederick clenched his teeth as he was shaken by the attack, and he grunted as he tried to push the man back.

Robin moved to help Frederick, but he was intercepted by the frowning swordsman with the dark hair. The priest blocked Lon'qu's first strike, but the swordsman was quick, and Robin was forced to parry a series of lightning-fast thrusts. Lon'qu fought with a quiet ferocity that Robin struggled to keep up with, and though the tactician considered himself skilled with the blade, he knew he wouldn't be able to fight Lon'qu off for long.

 _What are you doing, Frederick!? Hurry up and finish with that guy and help me!_ Robin desperately thought as one of Lon'qu's thrusts caught him in the gut, almost finishing him right then and there.

Suddenly, a roar erupted in the crowd, and Robin glanced away for a quick second to see Gregor sprawled out on the ground of the arena. Soon after, Lon'qu was forced to leap back as Frederick's lance burst into his battle with Robin.

"Go assist His Grace," Frederick said to Robin. "I will handle this one."

Robin nodded, gingerly rubbing the spot where Lon'qu would have skewered him had they been using real swords. He had faith in Frederick's combat ability, so he was fine with leaving Lon'qu to the knight. Frederick's martial skill far exceeded that of Robin's and even Chrom's, which was the main reason why Robin had selected him as one of the combatants for this tournament.

The tactician turned to help out the Ylissean prince, who was currently engaged in a fierce duel with the blue-haired woman. They were matching each other blow for blow, though Chrom looked to be tiring rapidly.

 _Marth, huh? That's a bold name… However, it looks like her skill with the sword lives up to it._ Robin had read all about the Hero King Marth and his exploits, though he found it strange to see a woman called Marth since he had always thought it to be a male's name.

 _Whatever,_ the priest thought as he joined the fray, attempting to blindside Marth by striking when her back was turned. Unfortunately for him, she heard him coming and parried his blow immediately after smacking Chrom in the face with the flat of her sword.

"Who are you?" she asked Robin, her blue eyes confused.

Robin mirrored her look. "What?"

"Why are you with Prince Chrom?" she questioned as she stepped back a bit.

Chrom rubbed his bleeding lip as he took his place next to Robin. "So you do know who I am… I thought so."

"I am from Ylisse, so naturally I would know my prince's face," she said, somewhat defensively. "I also recognize that other man as Sir Frederick, a famous knight in the service of Ylisse. You in the coat, however… I do not know you."

"Oh? Well, let's fix that, then. I am Robin, a priest in the service of the Church of Grima. Pleasure to meet you."

"Grima…" Marth muttered, her gaze darkening. "What would a Grimleal be doing with the Exalt's brother?"

"Does it matter?" Chrom broke in, his tone irritated. "We're supposed to be fighting, not making small talk… You're quite skilled, Marth, but you can't beat the two of us together."

"I agree," Robin said with a lazy smile. "I think I'm going to enjoy this. After I was banned by _someone_ from visiting any more brothels, I could use some female company… Especially with someone as beautiful as yourself."

Chrom sighed. "Really, Robin? Can't you be serious for once?"

"Fine, fine," Robin sighed as both Chrom and Marth gave him disgusted looks. "I could 'seriously' use a drink, though, so let's get this over with… Bullseye formation, Chrom."

The prince and the priest formed a circle around their opponent, the two of them eagerly awaiting an opening in Marth's defenses. Marth frowned as she clenched her blade, her eyes tracking the pair and her sword hand ready to strike down whichever one of them tried to attack her first. The two Shepherds continued to circle around her until Robin was directly in front of her and Chrom was to her back, and at that moment, the pair charged together.

Robin slashed at Marth with all his strength, but the blue-haired swordswoman sidestepped the blow and brought her knee up into Robin's gut. The tactician grunted and moved out of range, and to his amazement, Marth immediately turned to engage Chrom, who failed to land a hit despite the opening Robin provided. Robin sighed as he charged back into the battle, aiming to finish Marth as she was distracted by Chrom. However, for what must have been at least the third time, Marth effortlessly maneuvered away from Chrom just in time to block Robin's blow.

The tactician stepped back for a bit, wondering how he could defeat this opponent. _She's even better than Lon'qu… There's no way I or even Chrom could defeat her in a one-on-one fight. Honestly, she could probably take both of us at the same time, which means that trying to weaken her by splitting her attention between the two of us is pointless. We could try to tire her out, which would work if we were fresh, but those two shots in the gut I took aren't doing me any favors, and Chrom has also taken a couple hits. I have to distract her, but it can't be in a conventional way…_

Robin sighed again, then grinned. He resolved himself to his task and rejoined the fight, forcing Marth away from Chrom for a bit. She easily parried his first strike and dodged his second. Robin then tried a horizontal, sweeping slash, which would be tough to dodge but fairly easy to block since it was such a weak but far-reaching attack. As expected, Marth blocked Robin's swipe with her blade.

 _This is it…!_ As soon as their swords made contact, Robin pushed himself forward, launching himself at Marth. However, to his opponent's surprise, Robin did not attempt to strike her with his blade, as it was still locked with hers. Instead, he brought his face close to hers and planted a kiss on her lips.

The crowed roared in surprise and excitement, and Marth's blue eyes went wide with shock. A moment later, Robin felt an intense pain in his side as Marth's sword came up to crash against his ribs. The tactician fell to the ground, ending his ridiculous run in the tournament. However, Robin smiled into the dirt as he heard Marth join him a second later, courtesy of Chrom taking advantage of the situation. The cheers of the crowd increased tenfold as Khan Flavia's fighters were declared the winners.

* * *

"You fiend!" Virion teased as he took a seat next to Robin. The Shepherds were currently enjoying a feast in the main dining hall of the fortress, along with practically everyone else within the castle. After the three fighters had been treated for their injuries, Khan Flavia wasted no time in starting the victory party.

Robin grinned over his drink. "You jealous?"

"But of course!" the archer exclaimed. "Your tactics not only won the tournament, but you also managed to win the heart of a fair maiden in the process! Magnificently done, my friend."

"Oh, please," Chrom interrupted as he sat on the other side of Robin. "The only things he won were a couple sore ribs and a bad reputation."

"Ah, yes. I heard the pristine Lady Maribelle refer to our tactician as a 'philanderer of the highest degree' earlier, which is a title I thought she had reserved specifically for myself! Though I am a man of many talents, I am glad to be rid of that name."

Robin wore a defeated smile. "All right, you people aren't going to let me forget this, are you?"

"Never," Chrom agreed with a grin. "Though, to be fair, I guess Virion was right when he said that your tactics won us the tournament, even if those tactics were a bit… Unorthodox."

"Unorthodox is putting it lightly," Lissa interjected as she appeared beside Chrom. "Frederick even said that he was ashamed to share the same battlefield as you, Robin!"

"Well, that's just Frederick being Frederick," Chrom pointed out. "He simply enjoys being an ass sometimes."

"Yep, I'm going to need more than a couple drinks to get through tonight," Robin said as he sighed. "See what I've sacrificed for you, Chrom?"

The prince laughed again. "Sure, sure. Then again, you didn't have much of a favorable reputation even before this incident anyway."

"That's rude!" Lissa admonished with a frown. "Don't worry, Robin, I still like you!"

"Thanks," Robin replied. "Just don't let Frederick catch you saying that. He'd probably beat me with his lance."

"I agree with Princess Lissa," Virion inputted. "You are quite the character, Robin! Perhaps even I could learn a thing or two from you."

"I like Robin too, but perhaps we shouldn't encourage him too much," Chrom suggested. "Next thing we know, he'll literally be fucking people on the battlefield. Er - you didn't hear that, Lissa."

"Make love, not war," Robin countered as he took another sip from his strong Feroxi ale.

"Naga, it really is too late to save you," Chrom replied playfully. "Anyway, there's been something I've been meaning to ask you. You're a priest, but you're also a great tactician. How did that happen? In my religion, at least, most priests aside from war clerics don't fight or study battle tactics."

"Hm… I guess I was just interested in it."

"You were just interested in tactics…?"

"Well, war in general," Robin corrected. "Mostly the reasons why people fight wars, to be exact."

"Most do it for money, or because they are required to by their lord," Virion said. "Pardon me, but that hardly sounds very riveting."

"I guess, but is their desire for money or their duty to their lord really that important that they would give up their lives? Or is it that they do not value their lives that much?"

"Everyone has a different reason," Chrom stated. "It varies from person to person. For example, Frederick fights because he's loyal to his kingdom, and I fight to protect my country and the Exalt's ideals. Neither one of us places little value on our own lives, but we would still nevertheless give them up if our cause required it."

"Yes, but what about people like mercenaries? They don't have a grand cause like you, but they take the same risks you do. Which one of you is more right? Whose life is worth more?"

Chrom looked thoughtful. "All lives should be weighted equally, in my view. Just because one person fights for money and another fights for world peace doesn't mean that the latter's life is worth more because his cause is more compelling."

"I see," Robin said. "That's an interesting view to take, though I'm not sure if I necessarily agree with you. Would a criminal's life be just as important as Exalt Emmeryn's, then? They both fight for different 'causes,' technically."

Before Chrom could think of an answer, Lissa asked, "What do you fight for, Robin?"

Robin looked down at his drink. "That's a good question… Heh, I suppose even a man who fights for money is better than a man who fights for nothing at all."

Virion stood up and yawned. "Gods, all this talk is quite dreary. I much preferred it when we were discussing women, though there is one thing I must say to you, Robin: a man who fights for nothing cannot fight for long. Keep that in mind."

The archer then walked off, and Lissa followed him, most likely eager to avoid the depressing turn their conversation had taken. Chrom ordered another drink, then fixed his deep blue eyes on his tactician.

"Robin… Virion is right, you know."

"I'm sure he is," the priest replied. "Can humans constantly risk their lives in battle if they aren't protecting something important, or working towards a goal? Probably not."

Chrom was silent for a bit, then spoke up. "... To answer your question from earlier, no, I don't think that my sister's life and the life of a criminal are equal. Em's life is much more valuable than most people's, I think. However, I know she wouldn't want me saying that. If you asked that question to Emmeryn herself, she would answer yes without skipping a beat. That's just the kind of person she is, and I admire her for it… You're Plegian, right? So you know about my father's war…?"

Robin nodded, and Chrom continued. "So you see, our father left us a legacy of carnage, death, and destruction. It was up to Emmeryn to fix all that he ruined, and she has done so with resounding success. Ylisse wouldn't be the country it is today if it weren't for her, and though Plegia still holds a grudge against us, as evidenced by these bandit attacks, even they have benefitted from the financial support provided by Ylisse during Em's reforms. Her policies have allowed both countries to recover from hell, and that's why I want to protect her and her ideals. Though I don't always agree with her, she has the ability to look past all the evil in this world, and because of that, she's been able to heal wounds that I thought would never close."

"No offense, but her views seem a bit naive to me," Robin said. "The most selfless person often suffers the most as well."

"I agree. Which is why she has me and all of the Shepherds to protect her."

"I see… You sound very dedicated. If I could choose to feel the same way as you, I would, but I just don't," Robin replied. "I mean, I'll fight for your cause, but I can't say I believe in it as much as you do."

"That's fine," Chrom said as he smiled and took a sip from his drink. "I don't expect you to. I still remember our conversation a few days ago, Robin, and you'll find what you're looking for eventually. Everyone in the Shepherds has already found it, and you'll be no exception. I'll make sure of that myself."

Robin finished off the last of his ale. "I guess it couldn't hurt to have someone else helping me look. Thank you, Chrom."

Chrom ordered his tactician another drink. "No need for thanks. You're part of the Shepherds now, so it's only natural that we help each other, right?"

"... Right."

Robin glanced around the room, watching with amusement as Vaike once again lost to Sully in the drinking contest they held every time the Shepherds visited a bar. Around them, Stahl was stuffing his face again while Virion congratulated the red-haired knight, no doubt trying to hit on her once again.

 _I suppose I can stay a bit longer with them… Maybe I really will find my reason to protect this world here._

* * *

Chrom stood in a rather secluded spot outside the Khan's Fortress, taking in the fresh, frigid air of Regna Ferox. The Shepherds had spent all day partying after their victory, and even though the sun had set a while ago, Chrom was sure that his militia was still drinking, feasting, and making merry like there was no tomorrow.

 _Well, I suppose they deserve it. Though only three of us fought in the actual tournament, it took all of us to make it this far._

Thinking of the bandits made Chrom remember what Robin had said to him. If those brigands had been hired by Plegia, why were they so intent on provoking Ylisse? To make things more confusing, they were carrying out attacks in Regna Ferox as well, so if Ylisse and Regna Ferox teamed up, then Plegia wouldn't stand a chance. Chrom couldn't help but wonder what sort of madness would compel King Gangrel to plunge his country into another unwinnable war, but he supposed that it didn't matter in the end. If anyone dared to attack Ylisse, they would be punished. He would see to that himself.

Chrom then heard footsteps behind him, and he turned around to see Maribelle walking out of the fortress' massive gates. The troubadour looked surprised to see Chrom.

"Prince Chrom? What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, uh, I simply wanted a breath of fresh air," he answered. "I take it you're here for the same reason?"

The blonde noble nodded. "Yes… The clamor was beginning to irritate me."

Chrom resisted the urge to laugh. Maribelle always found something to complain about, though he supposed that was part of her charm.

"Congratulations on your victory today, by the way," she continued. "You fought quite gallantly out there."

Chrom blushed. "Oh, thank you, I guess… Though it was really Frederick and Robin who did all the work. I just played the role of clean up, really."

Maribelle's face scrunched up at the mention of Robin. "Yes, well, at least you did not resort to underhanded tactics, unlike some people…"

This time Chrom really did laugh. "Ha! You don't seem to like Robin very much, do you?"

"Not many people in the Shepherds do. Honestly, I am not sure what it is that you see in him."

"Oh, come now. You have to admit that he is pretty smart, right?"

"... I suppose."

"See? He has his good points, though you're right in that he is a bit… eccentric."

"'Licentious' is the word I would use."

"Yes, he is quite loose for a priest," Chrom agreed with a smile. "I think there is more to him, though. Deep down, he's not as bad as you think."

"I would hope so. Anyway, I think that I will go for a stroll around the fortress grounds. It was nice talking to you, Prince Chrom."

Chrom nodded. "Likewise… Though I told you not to call me 'prince.' It's just 'Chrom' to you guys."

Maribelle gave him a smile. "As you say… Chrom."

Chrom watched her go. _Under her frosty exterior, she is really is quite charming…_

The prince was interrupted from his thoughts when more footsteps sounded from behind him.

"Ah, there you are!" a deep voice boomed.

Chrom turned and saw Khan Basilio, accompanied by the two male mercenaries who had fought for him during the tournament.

"Khan Basilio. Well met," Chrom greeted, then turned his gaze to the two mercenaries. "And you two are Lon'qu and Gregor, correct?"

Gregor replied with a hearty hello, and Lon'qu gave a nod, his eyes as cold and harsh as ever.

"Flavia told me about your plight," Basilio said. "You're planning on dealing with the bandit attacks, right? I heard they're being paid by Plegia. Those desert rats will pay for this!"

"We haven't confirmed it yet, but that's what we suspect, yes," Chrom answered. "Khan Flavia has agreed to lend us some troops in case negotiations with Plegia don't turn out well."

"I'd love to help, but I've been told to stay here and guard are borders, unfortunately," Basilio told him. "Flavia's been Khan for less than a day and she's already become a slavedriver… Anyway, since I can't go myself, why don't you take these two with you? You saw how skilled they are yourself, so I'm sure they'll be of use."

"Really? You two are willing to fight for us?" Chrom asked the two mercenaries.

Gregor grinned and thumped his chest. "Aye! Gregor will gladly fight for Prince Chrom! Though Gregor will require some payment for his skills."

Lon'qu nodded again, obviously a man of few words.

"All right then, welcome to the Shepherds," Chrom said. "Thank you, Khan Basilio. We'll make sure that those bandits don't bother either Ylisse or Regna Ferox ever again."

Basilio clapped Chrom on the back, almost toppling the prince over. "Looking forward to it!"

"By the way… What happened to that woman who fought for you?" Chrom then asked, curious as to why Lon'qu and Gregor were here but not Marth.

"Oh, Marth? I've got no clue where she is. She left as quickly as she appeared," Basilio answered. "Though I can see why. The poor girl is probably embarrassed after what your buddy pulled today."

"Ah, that makes sense," Chrom replied with a sheepish grin. "I do wish we had the chance to apologize to her, though, and she was quite skilled with a sword. Someone like that would have made a fine addition to the Shepherds."

Basilio nodded. "I haven't seen a swordswoman fight so well since Flavia. It's a real shame she left. It seemed like she had something important she wanted too, but I forget exactly what she said…"

"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter," Chrom decided. "Lon'qu and Gregor are plenty skilled enough, from what I've seen."

Basilio laughed. "That's for sure! Lon'qu here is the most ruthless fighter I've ever seen, though he has a strange fear of women. And Gregor is nothing to sneeze at himself; he once challenged me in single combat for the title of Khan and almost won, can you believe that?"

Gregor smiled at the praise, but Lon'qu seemed to be annoyed when Basilio divulged his fear of women.

"Again, we're glad to have you both," Chrom said. "With all of us together, there's no way that the Shepherds will lose."

"Big words, but I'm inclined to believe you. You know, Prince Chrom, you're unlike any royalty I've met. It's almost as if you're Feroxi yourself! I guess that's why Flavia took an interest in you."

Chrom smiled, a determined glint in his blue eyes. "I won't disappoint you, then. That's a promise."

* * *

Robin smiled to himself as he strolled through the market district of the Feroxi capital. Though he had spent the past few hours drinking and feasting, the night was still young, and so the tactician had decided to take a page out of Chrom's book and leave for a bit in order to get some fresh air.

As he made his way through the city, he was captivated by all the vibrant sights, sounds, and smells that were present in the lively capital. Just as Ylisstol had been such a grand experience for him, Regna Ferox did not disappoint as well. Though both Ylisstol and the Feroxi capital were alike in that they very different from most Plegian cities, there were some differences between the two. For one, Robin noticed that the streets in the khan's city were much more boisterous and eclectic than Ylisstol's, and there were quite a few people who were visibly drunk staggering throughout the city. Robin had chalked that up to the current festivities, but based on his interactions with the khans so far, he wouldn't be surprised if Regna Ferox was always this carefree.

The streets were also filled with bands of mercenaries, off-duty soldiers, and other armed men and women, a sight that was not normal in Ylisstol. The Feroxi seemed to value strength above all else, so it made sense that there would be a large number of fighters in and around the city.

Robin let his eyes wander as he continued throughout the marketplace. He had no real destination in mind, so he simply walked along the main path and surveyed the various stalls and vendors with varying degrees of interest. He stopped when he got to a stand that was selling masks after one mask in particular caught his eye. He chuckled softly to himself when he saw the black mask fashioned in the shape of Grima's face, its red eyes bright and fearsome.

However, he then noticed another sight that made him stop. Standing in front of the small shop and perusing the selection of masks was Marth, the very same woman he had fought earlier in the day.

Robin froze in place, unsure of whether to walk away and pretend he never saw her or go up to her and apologize for his uncouth actions. He was never one for confrontation, so he opted for the former, but as he turned away, the feeling of his lips on hers suddenly shot to the forefront of his memory.

 _Okay… It did feel kind of good,_ he admitted. He decided to change his mind and talk to her after all. Maybe if he apologized, he could clear the air with her and get to know her better.

Robin approached her and was about to call out to her, but Marth whirled around as soon as Robin's footsteps got close. Her blue eyes widened when she saw him, and her expression quickly became one of contempt.

"You… What do you want?"

"Ah, well, I just wanted to apologize for today," Robin said with a sheepish grin. "If I made you uncomfortable, that is."

Marth frowned. "That was a dirty trick you used, not to mention an embarrassing one. Do you know how many times I have been mocked today because of your actions?"

"Heh, sorry," Robin apologized again. "I underestimated your abilities, and so I had to amend my strategy pretty rapidly. I don't normally do things like that."

 _Well… That's not totally a lie, I guess. Though I may be a worthless degenerate, I've never kissed an enemy before._

"I see," Marth replied, her gaze stern and her tone skeptical. "Since you are here, there is something I actually wanted to discuss with you. How do you know Prince Chrom?"

"Chrom? I just met him one day."

"... Is that it?"

"Pretty much." Robin could have told her more, but he didn't feel like recounting the entire story. Too much effort for him.

"Well, pardon me, but I find it hard to believe that a Grimleal priest just happened to be invited to join Prince Chrom's Shepherds."

Robin let out a yawn. "Yeah, there's a bit more to it, but I don't really think it's that important. All you need to know is that I am not an enemy of Chrom or Ylisse. Happy now?"

Marth's face was just as stony as before. "And I am simply supposed to take your word for it?"

"Yes," Robin answered. "Why are you so obsessed with Chrom anyway? Who are you, exactly?"

Marth seemed to be taken aback by the question. "W-what do you mean? I am nothing more than a mercenary from Ylisse. It is only natural that I be concerned for the well-being of my prince."

Robin narrowed his dark eyes. "Then why do you sound so unsure of yourself? You're a bad liar."

"I am not lying," she insisted, then took a breath. "... My personal circumstances are not relevant. However, know this: if you hurt Prince Chrom, you will pay dearly."

The priest shook his head in disgust. "What are you, an old lover of his or something? Normal people don't care this much for their leaders. You have some sort of connection to Chrom; now I'm sure of it."

Marth scowled at him. "Believe what you want. Just remember my warning."

Robin sighed. This conversation did not go the way he wanted it to at all. "I told you, I have no intention of harming Chrom. Why is that so hard for you to understand?"

"You are a member of the Grimleal. That is reason enough for me to doubt you."

"Great, another bigot," Robin spat. "What do you have against the Grimleal?"

"You are planning on reviving Grima. That is reason enough for me to hold you in disdain. You ignorant fools do not realize that if the Fell Dragon is returned to life, the world will be destroyed."

Robin's eyes darkened, and his mouth tightened into a thin line. "Don't speak of things that are beyond your comprehension."

Marth matched his glare with one of her own. "I know more than you ever could, priest."

The two stared each other down for a tense second before Robin blinked and yawned again. "Man, I could really use another drink right about now. I don't suppose you would care to join me?"

"... What?"

"I said, would you like to join me for a drink?"

"Are you… Have you lost your mind?" Marth asked incredulously, shocked at Robin's sudden change in tone.

"Wow, a simple 'no' would have been more than enough," the tactician replied. "Fine, then. Enjoy your mask shopping while us winners gorge ourselves on the finest Feroxi dishes and wines."

He turned to leave, but not before shooting her a lazy smile.

"I do hope we meet again, Marth. I quite enjoyed our battle today, but I liked our kiss even more."

Marth stared dumbly at his back, her face heating up with embarrassment. She tried to fire back a reply, but found that no words came to her.

Robin considered her silence a victory, and he smirked to himself as he headed back towards the fortress. _That was quite the conversation… I definitely need another drink after that. And maybe a whore or two for the night as well._

However, Robin's depraved thoughts were suddenly pushed aside as the feeling of Marth's lips returned to him. He absently lifted a finger to his own lips, then smiled.

 _Hm… That Marth is an interesting character, that's for sure. I wonder if I will get to experience that again…_

* * *

The Mila Tree was enormous, and much larger than Famine had imagined it to be. The roots of the tree crawled across the lush grassland, and the trunk itself shot upwards into the sky, scratching at the blue underbelly of the heavens.

 _This is going to be a long climb,_ he realized as he set out towards the tree. The inside of the trunk had been hollowed out, and there was a staircase leading up to the top within. Pilgrims following the Divine Dragon often came here to pray, but apparently there was a strong magical barrier at a certain point which prevented anyone from going up any further.

However, unlike the pilgrims, Famine was a member of the Inner Circle, Grima's avatars made human. He was one of the chosen few who had been blessed with the dark aura of the Fell Dragon, and so he knew that he would be able to destroy the barrier. The weight of his massive sword also rested reassuringly on his back, and this weapon could always serve as a backup plan if all else failed. He had no doubt that his blade could go toe-to-toe with even the Falchion.

The warrior in wolf armor climbed for close to an hour, his strong legs and unwavering resolve keeping him going despite the monotony and physical toll of his mission. Eventually, he reached the location where the barrier was. The air was distorted in this spot, and there was a sort of invisible wall that prevented him from advancing any further. Bright sunlight poured in from above, indicating that he was nearing the top of the tree.

Famine grunted to himself as he unsheathed his sword. The golden blade shone brightly even in the darkness of the Mila Tree's interior, and its dangerous point promised to tear through anything that opposed it. He concentrated for a bit, channeling all the magical energy he had into his blade. Though Famine was no practitioner of magic, Grima's blessing gave him a natural affinity for dark magic, so all he had to do was open himself to the ambient darkness that resided everywhere in the world.

He did as much as he stood in front of the barrier, and soon enough, black magic poured in from his surroundings and engulfed his blade. Famine then swung his sword in an upward arc, easily destroying the barrier. He then continued upwards until he arrived at a flat area at the top of the Mila Tree.

The sun shone strongly overhead, and the top of the tree was covered in green grass, much like the area at the base of the tree. A gleaming blue object on a pedestal caught Famine's attention, and he realized that this must be the gemstone that he was sent to find. He took a step towards the stone, but was stopped by a woman's voice.

"Who are you?"

Famine whirled around, presenting his snarling wolf mask to a woman with green hair and a ponytail. She wore a confused expression on her face when she saw him, and she repeated her question.

"Who are you?"

"... I am Famine," he said simply, not using his real name. "Are you the guardian of the Mila Tree?"

"I am. My name is Tiki."

Famine nodded. "Do you guard this gemstone as well?"

Tiki frowned and suppressed a yawn. "Do you… Do you seek that gemstone? For what reason?"

"I think you know," he replied.

Her green eyes swirled with various emotions. "... You were sent by Grima."

"I suppose that is one way of putting it. If you do not want to die, then I suggest you let me pass."

"I cannot."

Famine sighed to himself, then raised his golden blade. "I thought you would say that. I have no desire to kill you, but for the sake of the world… I will do what I must."

A melancholy expression made its way to Tiki's face before she was engulfed in a burst of light. To Famine's surprise, the woman transformed into a massive green dragon, and as she roared, it felt as if the whole Mila Tree shook in fear.

"Turn back," Tiki ordered, her voice amplified. "You will not be able to defeat me. I am the Voice of Naga."

Famine was unperturbed. "Even if that is true… I am not afraid. This blade has felled a god before, and so it will not fail against the mere voice of one. Prepare yourself."

Tiki roared once again and spat out an enormous fireball towards Famine. The black-clad warrior leapt out of the way with surprising nimbleness, and he rolled on the grass and emerged in his stance, poised to strike.

Tiki took to the air, aiming to get herself out of the swordsman's reach. However, Famine chased after her, jumping to a height that was not possible for most humans. While jumping, he spun around rapidly, curling himself into a tight ball and increasing his momentum. At the apex of his flight, he uncurled himself and lifted his sword above his head with both hands. With legendary speed, he used the force from his jump and descent to slash at Tiki, cutting through the dragon's right wing almost entirely.

The manakete roared in agony as she struggled to remain airborne. Famine did not let up, taking this opportunity to perform his bizarre leaping attack again. With her right wing damaged, Tiki failed to dodge the attack, and her chest was nearly split open from the force of Famine's sword.

With a final roar, Tiki crashed to the ground and reverted back to her human form. Blood poured out of her wounds, staining the soft grass crimson. She gasped for air, but her lungs had been ruined beyond all repair. Her vision grew dim.

 _That move he used… It was the same one Mar-Mar used to do…_

With a final rattling breath, the light in Tiki's eyes went out completely. Blood continued to flow from her injuries, filling the air with a metallic stench.

Famine stared at the manakete's corpse, then sheathed his sword. "I am sorry… Rest in peace."

He then went over and seized the gemstone from where it lay on the pedestal. His gaze lingered on the blue stone before he tucked it away safely. The Grimleal walked away from the pedestal and the dead body of the Voice of Naga, then exited the top of the Mila Tree. The tree seemed to be much less vibrant and full of life than before, but Famine did not know whether the cause of that was Tiki's death, the removal of the gemstone, or just his imagination.

Either way, he had a duty to fulfill. _It is unfortunate that innocents have to die for this… But this is truly the only way._

Famine took a breath, then began his long descent.

* * *

 _A/N: RIP Tiki. Apologies to anyone who likes her, and she is actually one of my favorite characters in Awakening, so I didn't want to do this either... However, some sacrifices are necessary for the sake of the plot, and I just think the story is more interesting if anybody can die at any time and nobody has any sort of plot armor (also the story does have a tragedy tag, after all). On another note, Famine's identity probably isn't much of a secret by now, and as I said before, everyone in the Inner Circle is an actual character in Awakening. It's their motives that are the true mystery..._


	4. Altering Destiny

Chrom and Robin stood outside the large, ornate doors that led into the Ylissean throne room. The rest of the Shepherds had returned to the barracks or were resting somewhere in the castle. Though they hadn't encountered any more bandits on the way back (thanks to the Feroxi soldiers Flavia sent with them), they were all exhausted from the long march back, as Chrom had wanted them to return to Ylisse as soon as possible in case Plegia decided to get more aggressive.

The pair glanced at each other as they waited, then looked towards the pair of soldiers who silently guarded the entrance.

"... Is the Exalt busy?" Chrom asked one of them, wondering why no one had ushered them in yet. Emmeryn had been informed of Chrom's return as soon as the Shepherds had arrived at the castle, so the prince had expected his sister to be waiting to receive him.

"I believe so, Your Grace," one of the guards answered, his tone unsure.

Chrom frowned. "That's strange… Who could she be talking to?"

"Councillors, probably. War councillors, more specifically," Robin guessed. "If she heard that we brought back a division of Feroxi soldiers with us, then she is most likely trying to figure out where to deploy them, or at the very least, where to keep them for now."

Chrom scratched his head. "Yeah… But why aren't we a part of that discussion? We are the ones who brought them, after all."

"I'm not even Ylissean," Robin pointed out. "As for you, maybe the Exalt just thinks you aren't smart enough to have any valuable inputs."

"Shut up."

A second later, the doors to the throne room were pushed open. General Phila, the same woman who had met them last time, greeted them once again.

"Prince Chrom. The Exalt will see you now."

"Thank you," Chrom replied as he entered with Robin.

As the prince walked into the throne room, he saw a group of advisors led by a hunched over man in green exiting. Chrom recognized him as the Hierarch, Ylisse's top advisor on almost all matters relating to politics.

 _Guess Robin was right._

"Ah, you two have returned," Emmeryn said when the Shepherds approached. "I heard your mission in Regna Ferox went well. Good work."

"What were you talking about with them?" Chrom asked, gesturing towards the Hierarch and his group.

Emmeryn smiled kindly. "Nothing of much importance."

"So you and the Hierarch were just having a friendly chat?"

"If you must know, we were discussing preparations for war," Emmeryn admitted. "Just in case."

"I knew it… Those bandits _are_ Plegian, aren't they?" Chrom asked, his face contorting into a snarl. "Then why are we just standing here? We can't let their arrogance go unpunished! Do you know how many innocent Ylisseans have died in these brigand attacks!?"

Emmeryn sighed. "I did not tell you about this because I knew you would overreact, Chrom. There is no need to resort to violence as our first option."

"But they've already resorted to violence, so why can't we?" Chrom then turned to Robin. "Tell her she's wrong, Robin."

The tactician stood in place nervously. He agreed with Chrom, but he was in no hurry to tell the Exalt that she was being an idiot right to her face.

"We are not them, Chrom," Emmeryn said, saving Robin from having to say anything. "Just because they are misguided does not mean that we have to be as well. Have you already forgotten the misery that the last war caused?"

"... No."

"Then do not be so hasty to create more of it. Peace is not off the table as of yet."

"... You're right. I'm sorry. It's just… I don't want to stand by and do nothing while Ylisseans are out there being killed! I'm the prince of this realm, and I have a duty to my subjects, don't I?"

Emmeryn gave him another warm smile. "Your Shepherds can continue to patrol the countryside for bandits. That is more than enough, and you have been a big help thus far. If anything else comes up, I will let you know."

Chrom nodded. "Understood. Let's go, Robin."

The two then turned to leave, but Emmeryn stopped them.

"Father Robin. I would like to speak with you in private if you have the time."

Robin froze. _What? This can't be good…_

"About what?" Chrom asked, seemingly thinking the same thing.

"Do not worry, it's nothing bad," Emmeryn said, allaying their fears. "But I would prefer it if I spoke with him alone."

"All right," Chrom acquiesced. "I'll be in the main lounge when you're done, Robin."

The prince exited the throne room, and Robin was left with the Exalt. However, the tactician noticed that they weren't completely alone; Phila, who had stood at the back of the throne room the entire time, remained in place, her short spear ready in case Robin tried anything.

"How has your experience been with the Shepherds so far?" Emmeryn asked him.

"It's been good, I suppose," Robin replied, unsure of what to say. "It beats sitting in the temple all day and conducting rites, that's for sure."

"I see. I heard from a few Plegian officials that you are quite famous in the Grimleal," the Exalt then said. "You were the one who suppressed Zanth's Rebellion at the Western Shore, were you not?"

Robin nodded slowly.

Zanth's Rebellion had been an uprising led by an infamous pirate king named Zanth. Zanth was a former captain in the Plegian Navy, but after being promoted to Fleet Admiral, the highest position in the Navy, he got drunk off his power and decided that he had no more use for the Plegian government. He conquered the Western Shore and the surrounding areas and set them up as the 'Sea-King's Throne,' and he took a huge part of the Navy with him when he rebelled. Normally, the Church of Grima would have let the military handle such a situation, but Zanth made it clear that he would also eliminate the Grimleal entirely once he came to power. The former admiral hated the immense influence the Grimleal had on Plegian politics, and so he saw them as an obstacle in his path to complete control. Because of this, the Church of Grima had no choice but to act. Robin had always been a stellar student in most subjects, and that included the study of military strategy. Since he was also the son of the High Archbishop, the Grimleal decided that he would lead the offensive against Zanth.

The military had continuously failed to unseat Zanth, and the best they could do was act as a buffer so that Zanth couldn't conquer beyond the Western Shore. Every time the Plegian Army tried to assault the Sea-King's Throne, they were pelted by cannon fire from Zanth's ships off the coast. Zanth also had complete control over the waterways surrounding the area, so it was difficult to resupply the army as well. Since the Plegian Army could not defeat Zanth, it was up to Robin to take charge. He knew that the only way they could win was by eliminating Zanth's naval supremacy, but since Zanth had taken most of the Plegian Navy, Robin barely had any ships and sailors to work with.

However, the tactician used this to his advantage. In a move that stunned both the Plegian government and the pirate empire, Robin lit his ships aflame and used them as huge projectiles in order to destroy the main portion of Zanth's fleet. Since Robin's navy had so few soldiers, they were able to fit all of them on the handful of ships that remained while all the other ships were sacrificed. Robin's actions allowed the Plegian Army to move in and defeat Zanth, and the rebellion was brought to an end.

Since Robin played a large role in Zanth's defeat, he was awarded a large sum of money by the Plegian government and was allowed to keep the flagship he used during the uprising. He was also offered a position in the military, but his father forced him to refuse, telling him that the Grimleal must not directly tie themselves to nations.

"Your renown as a tactician is well-deserved, then," Emmeryn said, breaking Robin out of his memories. "And from the reports I have received, it appears that you played a large role in helping the Shepherds get to Regna Ferox safely and then convincing the khan to lend us troops. You have my gratitude."

"Oh, uh, no thanks needed, Your Grace," Robin said as he blushed.

Emmeryn looked into his eyes, her golden orbs shining brilliantly. "Chrom needs someone like you, Robin. He has a good heart, but he is far too reckless and tends not to think before he acts. I know you are Plegian, and that this is selfish of me to ask, but please, look after him during the events to come."

"I will," Robin answered, trying to sound confident. It was rare that he was treated like the responsible one.

The Exalt smiled. "Thank you. Despite what I said to Chrom, I fear that we may end up in a war after all. Again, forgive me for saying this, but I hope that we can count on your support."

"I am just one man, but I will do what I can to help," Robin answered honestly. It appeared that Emmeryn was already aware of the fact that the Grimleal were not beholden to the Plegian government, so Robin did not explain to her that he was under no obligation to help Plegia during the war.

"Good. I am glad to hear that. I will keep you and Chrom informed on the situation as soon as it changes, so please be ready," Emmeryn said, then gave him another reassuring smile. "As for now, you may go. The castle's utilities are all open to you, so make yourself at home. You have all earned some rest."

Robin bowed lightly and then left the throne room. Phila shot him a wary look as he passed her by, the periwinkle-haired woman obviously not still completely trusting of him.

 _I suppose that makes sense, even if I am not her enemy,_ Robin thought as he glanced around the ornate halls of the palace. _Now, how do I get to the main lounge…?_

The priest wandered about the halls for a few more minutes, trying to find a guard he could ask for directions. As he strolled through the castle, he stopped to admire a painting of Chrom that was hanging on one of the walls. He also noticed one of the Hero King Marth nearby.

 _Wow, he's almost as pretty as the other Marth,_ Robin thought with a smirk. _They actually look fairly similar now that I think about it…_

"Robin? What are you doing all the way over here?"

The tactician whirled around to see Frederick. The big knight still wore his blue armor despite being on break, and his expression was as stern as ever.

"Oh, uh, I kind of got lost," Robin admitted sheepishly. "Do you know how to get to the main lounge from here?"

Frederick sighed. "I knew this would happen… Honestly, did Prince Chrom actually expect you to find your way back by yourself? Come."

Robin followed the knight through the castle as they headed towards the lounge. Neither man was very skilled in the art of conversation, so they proceeded in silence until Robin finally thought of something to say.

"Did you fight in the last war, Frederick?"

"... I did, to an extent. I served as a squire to my father," he answered, his tone strained. "It was… quite the disturbing experience, which is why I hope that we can resolve the situation with Plegia peacefully this time."

Robin had been a child when the previous war was raging, and as a member of the Grimleal, he was mostly sheltered from the violence. He had seen his own fair share of fighting, of course, but he wondered how bad to the last war had been to make even Frederick falter.

"It sounds like it was very violent. Why did the war even start in the first place?" Robin asked, wondering if Frederick would say more. He had read about Exalt Chresent's attempted conquest of Plegia in books, but those accounts were speculative or unclear. This was actually the first time he had the chance to speak with a veteran of the war from Ylisse's side.

"Ah, well, that is a subject of much debate," Frederick said. "Some say that Exalt Chresent was simply a power-hungry fool, while others say that he was after the Grimleal, and that he sought to eliminate them."

"I've heard both those theories before, but neither one seems very probable to me," Robin replied. "If he just desired power, I don't see the point of deploying soldiers to areas that had very little impact on the war and slaughtering the civilians there. And he couldn't have been after the Grimleal because none of our main temples were even touched by the Ylissean Army."

"Yes. It is quite the mystery. I often wonder why so many people had to die if it were all for nothing," Frederick said, his voice tinged with sadness and regret. He then turned around to face Robin. "Actually, I thought that you would know more about this subject than I would. As you said, the Grimleal were suspiciously quiet during the war. Perhaps they knew something that we did not…?"

Robin shook his head. "The Grimleal always remain neutral during conflicts unless they are directly threatened. As to why Exalt Chresent decided not to attack the Grimleal, I can't say. Maybe it was because he didn't want them joining Plegia's side, or maybe it was because of some secret deal he made with them… Who knows?"

Frederick remained silent for a bit, then nodded. "It is as you say, I suppose. We may never know."

The pair then continued on until they reached the main lounge of the castle, which was basically just a large royal suite. The room was covered with a plush red carpet, and various expensive-looking chairs and sofas were scattered about. Ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, and there were plenty of tables with games such as chess set up on them. To Robin's pleasant surprise, there was also a bar in the corner of the room, as well as a private kitchen.

"You finally made it," Chrom greeted as the pair entered. "Took you a while."

"I warned you he would get lost," Frederick stated. "Anyway, I have duties to attend to, so I must take my leave."

"Training again? You really need to loosen up, Frederick."

"I must remain ever vigilant in order to protect you, Your Grace."

"Yeah, but you also need to relax once in awhile," Chrom told him.

"Perhaps when I am finished with my regimen for today."

Chrom threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine, do as you please. While you're doing your Fanatical Fitness Hour or whatever, everyone else is going to be having fun."

"Actually, I would like to accompany you, Sir Frederick," Sumia broke in as she suddenly appeared. "If that's all right, that is…"

Frederick nodded. "I have no complaints. I could use a sparring partner."

"You too, Sumia?" Chroma asked, somewhat surprised that the normally meek woman wanted to spend her free time training.

Sumia glanced at the ground. "Yes, well… It's just that in these past few battles, I didn't really do anything… I'm still getting used to riding my pegasus, and my lance technique could use some improvement. I don't want to be useless anymore."

"Sounds good to me," Robin agreed, glad that Sumia had realized her weak points without him having to point it out to her directly. "We could always use better fighters."

Chrom nodded. "If that's what you want, then go for it. Good luck."

Frederick and Sumia departed, and Robin immediately rushed over to the bar. He could already taste the sweet burn as he perused the selection of wines, ales, mead, and beer.

"You sure are eager," Chrom noted as he joined him.

"Do you know how long it's been since I had a drink?" Robin shot back as he selected a bottle from the showcase, pointing to it for the bartender.

"You know, I'm starting to think that you might actually have a drinking problem."

"It's not a 'problem,'" Robin corrected, taking a sip of the glass of red wine that had been poured for him.

"Sure… Anyway, did you say something to Frederick on the way here? He's always been obsessed with training, but even he rarely goes off to exercise right after coming back from a long mission."

Robin was confused. "I don't know… We talked about the last war a little, I guess."

"Really? He usually doesn't like discussing that, so I'm surprised he told you about it," Chorm said, his chin in his hand.

"Oh? Was it really that bad?"

The prince shrugged. "I guess, though I don't know all the details either. I do know, however, that Frederick lost his father in the war, so it couldn't have been a good experience for him."

"He did? He didn't mention that…" Robin replied as he thought back to his conversation with the big knight.

"Yeah, I doubt he would. Frederick's father was executed for treason towards the end of the war, a week or so before my own father killed himself."

"Frederick's father was a traitor?" That image did not fit in well with Robin's perception of the knight. Frederick was the picture of loyalty.

"Maybe, maybe not. Since my father more or less lost his mind as the war progressed, we don't know if Frederick's father was actually a traitor or if he was just executed for no good reason," Chrom explained. "Frederick has been trying to figure that out himself his entire life. I guess that's why he told you about his experience in the war; though it was a longshot, he wanted to see if you knew anything about it."

"... I see."

Now Robin could understand why Frederick acted the way he did. Even though he could be stifling and overbearing, Frederick most likely overemphasized his sense of loyalty so that he could distance himself from his father's actions.

"Well, that's enough about Frederick," Chrom then said. "More importantly, what did Em say to you?"

Robin knew that the Exalt had probably told Chrom to leave for a reason, so he just gave a vague answer. "Oh, you know. She just said to look after you and stuff."

"Yeah, that sounds like her… So nothing about the war?"

"There is no war yet, Chrom," Robin stated as he ordered another drink. "And let's hope there isn't one. No offense, but you kind of sound like you're eager to fight."

Chrom clutched his cup. "... I don't know. I feel terrible for saying this, but I just want the opportunity to prove myself, even if that opportunity comes through war. Em has done so much for our country, but what have I done? Yeah, I stopped a couple bandit attacks, but that ultimately makes me a glorified guardsman. I want to do something worthy of a prince."

"That sounds selfish to me," Robin replied as he swished his drink around.

"I know it is, but I just can't will myself to stop feeling this way. I know war isn't good, and if I were in charge I wouldn't be like my father, but in this situation? What else can we do but strike back with violence?"

"Hm… I suppose you may be right," the tactician admitted. "You may get your wish, Chrom. Let's just hope that you don't end up regretting it."

Chrom sighed. "What about you, then? You told me you've fought in conflicts before, but you're opposed to war?"

Robin shrugged. "I don't know if I would say I'm 'opposed' to it. War, peace… What does it all mean in the end anyway? Why does either outcome matter?"

Chrom raised a blue eyebrow. "You're not making any sense."

The priest chuckled. "No, I suppose not… Either way, it doesn't matter what I think. As long as I'm your tactician, I'll just go along with whatever you decide."

"That's good to hear," Chrom said with a smile. "With you guiding us, I don't think we have anything to fear. If we must go to war, then we will. But if we do, then I want to make sure that we win."

Robin nodded. "Agreed."

* * *

Lucina looked around in amazement as she strolled through the streets of Ylisstol. Though she had been born in the city and had lived there all her life, she had very few memories of the area outside the palace. Grima's Resurrection had occurred when she was very young, and so she was forbidden from leaving the castle. When she was finally old enough to do as she pleased, Ylisstol had already been reduced to rubble, so there weren't many sights to take in.

Now, however, she was surrounded by a plethora of new sights, smells, and sounds. _I never realized how full of life these cities were…_

She briefly wondered if any of her companions from the future were currently in Ylisstol, but she doubted she would be able to find them in a city so big even if she tried. Lucina glanced at the white palace in the distance, and a warm feeling filled her chest. She had grown up in the castle, and though she wanted nothing more than to go inside and tell her father everything, she knew that it was impossible. Keeping interferences in the timeline to a minimum was one of her main goals, and her confessing to her father would no doubt cause problems.

 _Then again, I do not know what the result of that would be. Perhaps he would even help me fight against the Grimleal if I told him…_

Her mind then drifted to the Grimleal priest that she saw with her father in Regna Ferox. She scowled as the feeling of his lips on hers resurfaced.

 _That priest, Robin… Why was he there? Who is he?_

Lucina had never heard of any 'Robin' in her own timeline, and if he were a member of the Shepherds, she would have definitely seen him at least once. _Is it possible that my appearance in this timeline is what caused Robin to join the Shepherds? Maybe the Grimleal realized that I was here and sent him… However, he does not appear to be hostile. In fact, he seems to be assisting Father rather than fighting him. Or is he simply waiting for the opportunity to stab him in the back?_

The princess' anxiety grew the more she thought of the priest. Throwing her plans to remain far from the castle to the wind, she decided that she would need to keep a close eye on the situation in order to ensure her father's safety. Even if she couldn't tell her father everything, she still needed to make sure that Chrom was safe. No matter what, she couldn't allow him to die. Not this time.

* * *

The image of Death piercing her father's heart sprung to her mind again, and she grit her teeth. _I will not let that happen. I will never go through that pain again…_

Chrom had been killed inside the very castle Lucina had grown up in, right in front of her eyes. She had been powerless to stop the Grimleal zealot, and she vividly recalled the hulking figure in the black dragon mask looking down at her after killing her father. Death had taken one look at Lucina's crying face and then left, though Lucina never understood why he didn't just kill her too.

 _Either way, I will make him regret that mistake,_ she thought determinedly as she made her way to the castle. _Though I may have lost in the future… The past is where I will change everything._

"Fuck!" Vaike cursed as Robin captured his king. "That's what, my third loss in a row?"

"Fourth," Virion corrected as he watched the chess match from his seat beside the table. "Has your repeated defeats made you lose your ability to count, dear Vaike?"

"Oh, shut up!" Vaike said as he stood up. "This game is dumb anyway. I'll take you both on during training tomorrow instead as revenge. The Vaike won't go out like this!"

"Tis but a game, my friend," Virion told him with an amused smile. "No need to take it so seriously."

"To be fair, losing four games in a row _is_ pretty bad," Robin interjected. "No offense, Vaike."

The blond axeman shook his head. "You guys are smug assholes, you know that? I need a fucking drink…"

Virion laughed as Vaike walked towards the bar. "That was quite cruel, Robin. You could have given the poor man one game, no?"

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be any fun," the priest countered. "And before you ask, no, I'm not going to play you again. Those four wins against Vaike just barely put me at more wins than losses for the day thanks to you."

"Ha! And here I thought our brave tactician feared nothing," Virion replied smugly. "Maybe you should cede your position to me if you're afraid…?"

"Oh, please. We both know that battlefield tactics are completely different from a simple chess game."

"If it's so simple, then why don't you defeat me once?"

"Nice try, but no," Robin said as he stood up and stretched. He then glanced out the window and saw that the sun was beginning to set, the glare from the star bathing the landscape in orange. "Damn, it's pretty late already…"

Just then, Frederick burst into the room.

"Robin, Prince Chrom requires your presence in the courtyard."

"For what?"

"It appears that Marth girl we fought in Regna Ferox wants to join our group," Frederick answered. "Do not ask me why, for I do not know. It would be best if you saw for yourself."

Robin's eyes lit up. _Marth? Interesting…_

He followed Frederick through the castle and into the lush courtyard, trying to maintain his balance on the way there. He may have had one too many drinks that evening...

When they finally got to the courtyard, he found Chrom and Marth standing together. The blue-haired warriors turned when Robin and Frederick arrived.

"Ah, there you are," Chrom began. "I assume Frederick told you about the situation?"

"Yeah," Robin replied, fixing his brown eyes on Marth and giving the woman a lazy smile. "Still looking as cute as ever, Marth."

"Excuse me?" she said, appalled at his boldness.

Chrom sighed. "Robin… Are you drunk?"

"Do you really have to ask, Your Grace?" Frederick answered, shooting the tactician a glare.

"Figures… Look, if you're not sober, maybe this should wait until -"

"Why do you want to join the Shepherds?" Robin asked Marth, his tone becoming serious. "Your intentions still aren't clear to me, and as his tactician, I cannot allow someone who is a complete unknown to get close to Chrom."

Marth's sapphire eyes narrowed. "Are you implying that I would wish to harm His Grace?"

"I don't know. Why are you joining us now? And why do you seem to know so much about Chrom and the Shepherds?"

"That's…"

"I think we can trust her," Chrom interrupted. "She says she's Ylissean, and she doesn't seem like the bad type."

"Chrom… You're too trusting," Robin said, and Frederick nodded behind him.

"Well, I trusted you, didn't I?" Chrom countered. "And besides, that's not all. Look at her sword."

Robin glanced down at Marth's side. The pommel of the sword did seem familiar, but when Marth unsheathed her blade, it became even clearer.

"... Falchion?"

Chrom nodded. "There's only one in the world, so hers is obviously a replica, but look at that craftsmanship! They're almost identical. Whoever made that sword has to have come into close contact with the original Falchion."

"It was my father who made this sword," Marth supplied. "He was a close retainer to the previous exalt."

"What was his name?" Robin asked, still not completely trusting her.

"He died while I was very young," she answered. "This is all I have to remember him by."

Robin bit the corner of his lip, trying to find any holes in Marth's story. Though there was no way that her tale could be disproven, there also wasn't much proof to back it up. _Though I do have to admit, that sword is almost an exact replica of Falchion…_

The Grimleal priest then looked over Marth again, letting his gaze travel all over her body. Marth shifted uncomfortably as Robin examined her, and Frederick cleared his throat, clearly disturbed as well. Chrom opened his mouth to say something, but Robin spoke before he could.

"You look like you could be a relative of Chrom's."

Marth's eyes widened. "W-what?"

"You have blue hair, you have extensive knowledge of Falchion, you fight like Chrom, and you look like the real Marth," Robin listed, recalling the painting he saw earlier in the day.

"All of that is true…" Chrom admitted as he looked at Marth again. "You… You aren't related to me, are you? That can't be. I don't have any cousins, aunts, or uncles…"

"She could be a bastard," Robin inputted. "It would explain why you don't know about her."

Marth appeared as if she were about to protest, then fell silent. "... That is correct."

Chrom looked troubled, and Frederick was shocked.

"T-that cannot be," the big knight sputtered. "Who is your father, then? Exalt Chresent? I thought you said your father was a retainer of his?"

She shook her head. "I do not know. But if you want further proof, look into my left eye."

All three men crowded around Marth as they followed her instructions. Sure enough, the Brand of the Exalt was present in her eyeball.

 _So that's why her left eye always looked a little different,_ Robin realized.

"So you really weren't lying," Chrom finally said, his tone tinged with surprise and an ounce of frustration. "I guess we have no choice, then. It would be wrong to turn family away, so you are welcome to join the Shepherds."

"Chrom, just because she's related to you doesn't mean that she doesn't have -"

"Enough, Robin," the prince stated as he turned around. "I've made my decision."

Chrom then stalked off, leaving Robin with Frederick and Marth. The woman looked at the ground, her blue eyes filled with regret.

"It appears His Grace needs some time to take in this information," Frederick said as he watched his liege leave. He then turned to Marth. "You are part of the Shepherds now, Marth. However, keep this in mind: if you ever attempt to harm His Grace, I will kill you, royal blood or not."

With that, the blue-armored knight followed after Chrom.

Robin sighed and screwed his eyes shut. "I need another drink…"

He then turned to leave, but Marth stopped him.

"Wait," she called out.

"What? You want another kiss?"

"... I will choose to ignore that for both our sakes. I merely want to know where I am supposed to go now," she said.

Robin frowned. "Oh, right… Well, the Shepherds will be staying in the castle for a couple more days, so I guess we can find you a room somewhere… You should really be asking Frederick, not me. I'm still getting lost in this place."

"I thought you were the tactician. Should you not be able to find your way around one castle?"

"Cheeky little bitch," Robin muttered under his breath. "Fine, follow me. I should be able to retrace my steps back to the lounge, at the very least."

The two walked back inside the castle, with Robin leading as he tried his best to remember just where it was that he had came from. He vaguely recalled heading through a door with a blue vase on a small stand next to it, so he kept his eyes open for something like that.

"There is talk of war with Plegia," Marth suddenly said, interrupting Robin's search.

"So there is," Robin replied lazily, already knowing what Marth was about to say.

"And you are all right with that? You said you were from Plegia."

Robin frowned as he ran a hand through his dark hair and tried to decide which hallway to go through next. "My only allegiance is to the Church of Grima. It doesn't matter to me if Ylisse fights Plegia."

"... What if the Grimleal were to turn against Ylisse? What would you do then?"

"Why are you asking me that?" Robin said, turning around to glare at her. "The Grimleal have always remained neutral in recent conflicts, and that isn't going to change. There's absolutely no reason why they would suddenly start attacking Ylisse. It seems like you're just trying to pick a fight with me."

"That was not the purpose of my questioning," Marth replied. "Just as you wished to know my intentions, I wish to know yours. I cannot have someone untrustworthy so close to Prince Chrom."

"That's basically exactly what I said earlier," Robin shot back, frustrated both with this conversation as well as his inability to find his way through the large castle.

Marth's expression remained stoic. "I apologize if I am offending you. I merely wish to keep His Grace safe, and I am sorry, but I do not trust the Grimleal."

"Well, that's close-minded of you. What reason would I have for turning on Chrom or the Shepherds? They've been nothing but kind to me since I've arrived in Ylisse."

Marth's gaze softened. "Fine. I suppose I have been a bit harsh. I still do not trust you completely, but I am willing to give you a chance. Perhaps not all of you are pure evil."

Robin sighed again. "I _really_ need a drink now. If I could just get back to the lounge…"

"Why don't we try going through there?" Marth offered, pointing towards one of the hallways.

"I don't know if that's the right way…"

"Oh? Then what is the right way?" Marth asked, an amused glint in her eyes.

"I, uh… Fine. I don't know, I'm lost."

The corner of Marth's lips twitched upwards as she tried not to smile. "Then my suggestion cannot be worse than our current direction, no? Come on."

Robin followed Marth through the castle, the woman supposedly choosing directions at random. Soon enough, they arrived at the hallway beside the blue vase.

"Huh… You have a pretty good sense of direction," Robin said as he recalled how to get back to the lounge from this point onwards.

"I suppose I am just lucky," Marth replied.

Robin laughed. "I guess so. Now, let's hurry up. That bar has been waiting for me…"

* * *

A figure in black wolf armor sat alone in a forest. Sunlight poured in from above the trees, shining through the leaves and touching down on the grass at a few select spots. The chirping of birds filled the air, giving the area a sense of peacefulness. An old, worn-out shrine rested a few feet away from the figure, though he did not recognize which god it was built for.

Famine closed his eyes and began to concentrate. As he sat still and let dark energy flow into him, a blinking apparition began to materialize in front of him. Soon enough, the apparition took on the thin form of Valis.

"Famine? Can you hear me?" Valis asked.

"Yes," the Grimleal warrior replied.

Valis smiled. "Good, then it appears that this method of communication will work - for short periods, at least. Anyway, since you have contacted me, I assume that you have completed your task?"

"I did. Azure is now in my possession."

"That is good to hear," Valis said before pausing to let out a series of sickly coughs. "... Did you happen to encounter any resistance?"

"There was a magical barrier that I easily broke. However, a manakete was also there, acting as a guardian to the gemstone. She called herself Tiki, the Voice of Naga."

Valis' eyes widened slightly. "So that is where she was… And you defeated her?"

Famine nodded. "With ease, though it was clear that her combat skills were rusty. She seemed disoriented."

"Ah, yes. The Voice of Naga had been in a very long slumber before you awakened her," Valis explained. "But either way, I am glad that the task was not much trouble for you. As expected from a member of the Inner Circle."

Famine didn't reply, and so Valis continued.

"You must safeguard that gemstone until you arrive back in Plegia. It is best that no one else knows that you are in possession of it."

"Of course. Then, if that is all…?"

Valis nodded. "Yes. Goodbye."

Famine severed the connection, and he was alone once again, surrounded by the song of the forest. He pulled out the gemstone known as Azure and turned it over between his fingers. The stone was a beautiful shade of blue, but other than that, he didn't see anything special about it.

 _And yet I spilled blood to obtain it,_ he thought bitterly as he recalled his duel with Tiki. _If only this wasn't necessary…_

Famine was not a devout adherent to Grima, despite his position in the Church. However, as one of the select few who was compatible with Grima's blood, he had no choice but to take up the mantle of 'Famine' for the sake of the world. If he stood by and did nothing, the world as he knew it would definitely be destroyed; he had seen that for himself. Therefore, he would do whatever was required of him in order to prevent the destruction of the world, even if he didn't like it.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 _\- As you can see, I used Robin's ship strategy from Awakening here in his backstory. I didn't want to just reuse the same tactic that everybody already knows from the games for the actual battles in this story, so I put it there instead because I still thought the concept was pretty interesting._

 _\- I don't remember Chrom's father ever having a name, so I basically just gave him a random one. The reasons for Chrom's father's war will come up later in the story, so there will be more on that later._

 _Also, thanks to everyone who has reviewed/favorited/followed so far. Updates might be a bit slower for the time being, but they should pick back up eventually._


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